PAX IFSA/APEX AIX Long Beach 2017

IFSA/APEX/AIX SEPTEMBER 2017 MEGA ISSUE

LONG BEACH

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EDITOR’S LETTER

PAX International 26 Pearl Street, Mississauga, Ontario L5M 1X2, Canada Tel: (1 905) 821-3344; Fax: (1 905) 821-2777 website: www.pax-intl.com

PUBLISHER

PAYING IT FORWARD

Aijaz Khan E-mail: aijaz@globalmarketingcom.ca

EDITORIAL OFFICES Rick Lundstrom, Editor-in-Chief PAX International 723 Jefferson Street, NE Minneapolis, MN 55413, USA Tel: (1 612) 378-0862 Fax: (1 612) 378-0852 E-mail: rick@pax-intl.com Melissa Silva, Editor Tel: (1 905) 821-3344 x21 E-mail: melissa@pax-intl.com Ash Khan, Editorial and Marketing Assistant Tel: (1 905) 821-3344 x30 E-mail: ash@pax-intl.com CONTRIBUTORS Jeremy Clark Stathis Kefallonitis, Ph.D Mary Jane Pittilla

A R T D E PA R T M E N T Jessica Hearn, Art Director E-mail: jessica@globalmarketingcom.ca Sarit Scheer, Layout E-mail: sarit.scheer@gmail.com

ADVERTISING OFFICES Kevin Greene, Advertising Sales Executive Tel: (1 905) 821-3344 x31 E-mail: kevin@pax-intl.com PAX International is published six times a year (January/February, March/April, May, June/ July, September, December.) by PAX International, 26 Pearl Street, Mississauga, Ontario L5M 1X2, Canada. International Distribution.

Subscriptions: $200 for one year; $300 for two years; $400 for three years. Art and photographs will not be returned unless accompanied by return postage. The views expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the publisher or editor. September 2017, Vol. 24, No. 5. Printed in Canada. All rights reserved. Nothing may be reprinted in whole

A

irlines, and by extension their suppliers, have never forgotten about their high-profile presence in the world and the role they play in shaping its future.

That’s why PAX International, with the help of the International Flight Services Association and planners of the Mercury Awards are happy to take part in both their endeavors by adding our Pay it Forward Award to airlines or companies that have done exemplary work for their communities.

The first recipient will be announced at this year’s IFSA/APEX/AIX event.

Because of the geographical nearness, we have selected a company from the Americas to receive the award. We hope you will be on hand during IFSA’s First Compass Awards as the Association rewards innovation and quality within the industry.

From there, we will travel to Abu Dhabi for the Mercury Awards held at the annual SIAL Middle East Expo in December, where there is a growing interest in the airline catering portion of the week’s events. Abu Dhabi has

been the home of the Mercury Awards since the days of the International Travel Catering Association and we’re happy that SIAL organizers have kept the awards going. The Mercurys still ongoing existence honors the founders of ITCA and their decades of devotion.

Because of its location in the Middle East, we are currently seeking out worthy recipients from that region for the Pay It Forward Award at SIAL. If readers have any suggestions about the efforts of airlines and companies from the Middle East, Asia and Australasia, feel free to send them on. All the contact information you need is on the left-hand side of this page.

Again, we would like to thank IFSA and the Mercury planners for allowing us to take part in these two important events. We can assure you our picks will be among the best examples of and industry devoted to its communities as they are to their passengers and customers.

Rick Lundstrom Editor-in-Chief, PAX International

or in part without written permission from the publisher. © PAX International magazine

ISSN 1206-5714 Key title: Pax International

www.pax-intl.com | PAX INTERNATIONAL | 3

Contents S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7 | VO L . 2 4 , N O. 5 | w w w. p a x . i n t l . c o m

72 PLAYING SAFE

Inflight safety videos don’t just enhance security and passenger protection — they are a valuable way to entertain, too. Mary Jane Pittilla rounds up the best video content

78 SKY-HIGH SUMMER

A new satellite and the chance to be in on an historic celestial event were only two of the important recent developments at Carlsbad, California-based ViaSat

REGIONAL REPORT 22 BA’S BIG MOVE

A good night’s sleep and a good meal are at the heart of a massive investment by British Airways in its refreshed Club World service to debut this fall

88 NEED VERSUS DESIRE

Embedded IFE is still important to the passenger service strategy, but what screen resolution and features are needed to provide passengers with optimum performance and value?

60 WI-FI IN BRITISH SKIES

Along with a wide selection of improvements to the cabin, British Airways has embarked on a program to outfit its fleet with EAN Wi-Fi over Europe and Gogo for long haul

SEATING

80 REACHING NEW HEIGHTS

Geven has made major investments in its manufacturing facilities, as the Italian seating supplier continues to innovate for further growth

28 GUEST COLUMN

Long-live passenger engagement! Stathis Kefallonitis, Ph.D. Founder & President at branding.aero reports

82 MAKING SEATS FRIENDLY

Mood lighting, accommodations for personal devices, and dozens of other small features are reshaping the look and feel of airline seating and helping make products personal and useful on flights long and short

COMPANY PROFILES & FOODSERVICE 29 FLAVORS OF THE SUN

Featuring a combination of authentic Italian fare as well as international flavors, MV Food & Services is bringing a taste of both Italy and the world to the skies

FLOORING

92 A STEADY FOUNDATION

Cognizant of the specific flooring criteria aircraft manufacturers are looking for today, suppliers are raising the innovation bar to ensure their offerings do not fall short

32 A PASSIONATE PRODUCTION

Veteran producer of wine and olive oil, family-owned Castello Monte Vibiano is finding new ways to yield its bounty, with new flavor combinations and offerings, some of which move beyond catering territory

TROLLEYS

94 STYLE FOR THE AISLE

Maria Rosaria Iacobucci has founded a new company called Highliner to revolutionize the airline food service trolley sector

FOOD AND BEVERAGE 34 MAKING A SPLASH

Though not always the most convenient food item to eat during a flight, seafood has just as much appeal in the sky as it does on the ground, prompting suppliers to be creative with their offerings

38 HEARTY GRAPES

Favorable weather has returned to the wine growing regions of California, and producers say airlines around the world are keen for quality products and freely spending on the tried and true vintages

44 THE BEST OF HEALTH

These leading suppliers to the airline industry are responding to the upswing in demand for healthy snacks from increasingly healthconscious travelers

LOGISTICS AND TRANSPORT

54 GETTING THE GREEN LIGHT

The catering truck industry is becoming ever more high-tech as it moves towards an electrically powered future

INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT AND CONNECTIVITY 64 INDUSTRY Q&A

The moving map display, now a regular feature on inflight entertainment systems, has been transformed to a tool for ancillary revenue with companies like Dustin Jackson’s Flightpath are paving the way

66 IFEC FOR THE SHORT HAUL

Demand for IFEC has never been greater, and companies setting up shop at this year’s APEX event have spun off new products and added service to reach an expanding list of airline customers wanting a passenger experience on even the shortest of segments and with the tightest of budgets

68 A FLIGHT WITH GOGO’S 2KU

6 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

96 MODISH TRANSPORT

An increased focus on product design and aesthetics are among the latest innovations in the food service trolley market

ANCILLARY REVENUE

100 APEX TO TRACK REVENUE The Airline Passenger Experience Association is seeking to maximize advertising, among other things, as a strong source of revenue for airlines and has set up a committee to chart the strategy

GUEST COLUMN

102 THE STATE OF THE UNION With U.S. airlines experiencing a decades-long fall from grace, guest writer Jeremy Clark suggests a renaissance is imminent, with changes to routes, service and the cabin already in motion

EVENT COVERAGE

46 IFSA PROGRAM

A four-page section devoted to events and people that make up this year’s International Flight Services Association Conference and Expo

112 EXCELLENCE IN EVERY DIRECTION The International Flight Services Association and PAX International will award influential companies and contributions to the industry at this year’s first Compass Awards in Long Beach

DEPARTMENTS 3

EDITOR’S NOTE

108 WHAT’S HOT

8

NEWS

114 ASSOCIATION NEWS

20

PEOPLE NEWS

114

CALENDAR

NEWS

SUPPLIER NEWS

Qantas refreshes kits with Country Road Continuing its partnership with Country Road, Qantas has launched a new design for its Premium Economy customers.

Galileo Watermark worked with Country Road to develop the kit refresh to replace the iconic black and white gingham print previously on-board.

The new canvas bag features a stylish and simple modern design, which captures the essence of the authentic Australian way of life. The kit also includes a matching Country Road branded eye mask, black socks and dental kit.

Kaelis supplies two kits for Air Astana Air Astana is revamping it onboard service with a new Economy Class amenity kit for all medium- and long-haul flights supplied by Kaelis.

The new collection was divided in two sets — Nowen and Zappa — both of them in five colors.

The Nowen kit will be given to passengers flying to Kazakhstan, while the Zappa kit will be given to passengers flying from Kazakhstan. The Nowen kit has a shoe bag, inflatable neck pillow, toothbrush and toothpaste, hand cream and earplugs. Passengers getting the Zappa kit will receive a shoe bag and slippers, eyemask, hand cream, toothbrush and toothpaste, pen and earplugs.

The Zappa bag on Air Astana will be on Air Astana flights from Kazakhstan

Delta gives passengers ability of monogram kits Beginning September 1 Delta refreshed its TUMI amenity kits in the Delta One cabin, featuring a new look and feel that customers can make uniquely their own.

Delta’s TUMI hard-case amenity kit supplied by Buzz, is based on the airline’s popular 19 Degree collection.

The airlines will allow passengers to monogram a patch on the front of the case, a first for any airline amenity.

“Every detail incorporated into our TUMI amenity kit has been thoughtfully selected with our customers’ needs and preferences in mind — no matter how big or small,” said Allison Ausband, Delta’s Senior Vice President — In-Flight Service in the August announcement. “We are excited to offer customers the ability to monogram their amenity kits and create a personalized souvenir to take with them as they jetset across the globe.”

The Delta One kits will continue to combine two premium, high-quality brands — TUMI and Kiehl’s Since 1851 — to create a spa-like experience in the sky, revitalizing skin on Delta’s longest flights.

The refreshed kits will include new amenities such as hand cleanser, a mouthwash stick and TUMI eyeshades as well as updated striped socks. Additionally, the kits will feature travel essentials including Kiehl’s Lip Balm #1 and grapefruit-scented Deluxe Hand and Body Lotion with Aloe Vera and Oatmeal, a dental kit featuring Crest toothpaste, tissues, mouthwash and ear plugs.

The kits will be available on all Delta One flights, including coast-to-coast flights between JFK and LAX/ SFO, BOS-SFO and DCA-LAX, and will feature hard- and soft-case TUMI kits. Customers will enjoy a silver hardsided amenity kit outbound from the U.S. and a soft-sided black amenity kit inbound to the U.S., allowing them to add variety to their amenity kit collection each way.

Complimentary monogramming will be available at any TUMI retail store aside from airport or outlet locations. Customers should bring the patch, which is located inside the kits, to the store to be monogrammed.

Buzz supplied the product and contents of the Delta One kit refresh

8 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

NEWS

AIRLINE NEWS

Qantas compliments meals with new tableware The new range Qantas of inflight tableware is designed by Australian David Caon, who was lead designer of the airline’s 787 Dreamliner cabin. The new crockery will be brought into service in December of this year.

The range includes pieces by Noritake, cutlery and glassware.

Caon has designed new tableware that is modern, lightweight and practical for passengers dining in First, Business and Premium Economy and the Qantas lounge network.

The 16-piece set, crafted from fine bone china is in a five-piece brush and has stainless steel cutlery.

Qantas said Caon’s objective when designing the new tableware was to combine minimal, classic elegance with quality and functionality and work well with creations from the airline’s culinary consultant, Neil Perry.

“There is a fine balance between finding ingenious ways of making a product lighter and compromising its utility or quality,” said Caon.

“We’ve taken key design cues from the 787 interiors as our inspiration for the tableware. Straight lines were minimized in the design with the same 800mm curve applied to each object in a way to soften and humanize. This organically geometric aesthetic lends continuity of design across the range and to the aircraft,” he added.

Qantas Group Executive Brand Marketing and Corporate Affairs Olivia Wirth said the 787 Dreamliner had given Qantas the opportunity to re-design the entire travel experience.

“We have considered everything from cabin lighting, revolutionary new seats and scientific studies to reduce jetlag. We’re now

pleased to be bringing together our expert in food and wine with our expert in design to modernize the in-flight dining experience and make it even more special,” she said.

“Aside from aesthetics and functionality, we also tasked Neil Perry signature cloud plate canapé dish zucchini flowers with goat cheese filling David to help minimize our watercress tarragon and tomato vinaigrette carbon footprint by reducing the weight of the new range by eleven percent, resulting in an annual saving of up to 535,000 kilograms in fuel.”

The range of crockery, cutlery and glassware will be used inflight in International First, Business and Premium Economy, Domestic Business as well as the First and Business Lounges, and Qantas Clubs.

The range will be on board Qantas flights from the first 787 Dreamliner service from Melbourne to Los Angeles on 15 December, and will progressively roll out to the remainder of the Qantas fleet.

David Caon founded his studio in Sydney in 2009, having worked in Milan and Paris where he designed alongside fellow Australian Marc Newson, for clients including Dom Pérignon, Samsonite and Qantas – when he was part of the team who created the interiors of the airline’s A380.

Caon was also responsible for the refurbishment of the airline’s fleet of Boeing 717s and Boeing 737s, as well as the design of Qantas’ International lounges in Hong Kong and Singapore.

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NEWS

KLM Expands order meal offering At the end of October, KLM will be offering its Anytime For You meal service to World Business Class passengers on flights to and from Bangkok.

This is the second route, after Johannesburg, where World Business Class passengers can order meals. KLM launched Anytime For You July 1. In addition to the usual three-course dinner and lunch options, the menu also includes an Anytime For You selection of eight dishes.

This includes cold and warm dishes, savory and sweet, healthy dishes and tasty treats. After the regular meal service, passengers can order from this extra menu during the remainder of the flight.

The selected dish is prepared and served restaurant style whenever it best suits the passenger.

“Judging by the many positive responses we’ve had from passengers, the new service really meets their wishes,” said Willem Spelt, Director of Product Management. “People are pleasantly surprised by the concept, which offers them more choice and versatility. And that is exactly what we hoped to achieve: giving the passenger a positive and memoKLM first launched its Anytime For You rable experience” meals on its route to Johannesburg

Emirates launches new onboard lounge over summer

The new Emirates A380 lounge debuted on a flight from Dubai to Kuala Lumpur

Emirates’ newly revamped A380 Onboard Lounge has made its operational debut August 1 on a flight to Kuala Lumpur, marking the ninth anniversary of the airline’s A380 service.

The latest makeover of the lounge is inspired by private yacht cabins.

It features a more intimate social area and accommodates 26 passengers. The six wines on offer differ by destination but a Champagne offering of Moët & Chandon or Veuve Clicquot is always available.

Emirates has more than 6,000 crew trained as mixologists who can whip up 14 cocktails such as its signature Bloody Mary or a non-alcoholic Apple Spritzer. The lounge stocks Hennessy XO Cognac and Chivas Regal 18-year-old Scotch Whisky.

It also serves over 18 bar snacks, the most popular of which are the smoked salmon bagels and fresh fruit skewers.

The menu also includes Illy coffee and several varieties of tea from Dilmah. At the back of the lounge, a 55-inch LCD screen gives customers the latest flight information, or live TV broadcasts of the latest news or sports updates. Emirates has also recently expanded its Wi-Fi offering to give patrons of the lounge who are Emirates Skywards members free Wi-Fi throughout their flight.

Emirates flies the A380 to 48 cities on 6 continents. The latest cities to join the A380 network this year are Sao Paulo, Casablanca and Nice.

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NEWS

ANA enhances Economy beverage service, opens new lounge ANA is welcoming its passengers with a service that includes Japanese sake in Economy Class on international flights and a new lounge for domestic flights at Sapporo (New Chitose) airport, designed by the world famous Japanese architect, Kengo Kuma.

ANA is offering Japanese sake service on international flights in Economy Class, in addition to existing sake service in First Class, Business Class and Premium Economy. For Economy Class the airline will serve sake Ichinokura Tokubetsu Junmai Sake Dry from the Ichinokura brewery and branded with an ANA label.

“Sake is popular in Japan and in many countries around the world. In recent years, many of our passengers have been asking us to serve sake in Economy Class,” said Yuzo Hara, Vice President of Products and Services Strategy the August announcement. “The number of international visitors to Japan is increasing, and this trend is expected to continue, as Japan hosts a number of international events such as the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo in 2020.

“Being Japan’s only 5-star airline, we want to give all our passengers around the world the opportunity to try quality sake.

We hope that our passengers will pair the sake with their meals on board ANA flights, for a full Japanese gastronomic experience. The Ichinokura brewery is famous for carefully brewing high-quality sake using a blend of tradition mixed with innovation, which are two of the values we share at ANA.” This sake is brewed from Sasanishiki and Kura no Hana, two varieties of rice from Miyagi Prefecture, the home of Ichinokura. A fine balance of the soft umami (savory) flavors of the rice is captured in the deep taste of this high-quality sake, which is brewed with metic-

14 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

ulous care by the craftspeople of Ichinokura as they maintain their long-standing customs and traditional approach to sake brewing.

Following the construction of the ANA SUITE LOUNGE and the renovation of the ANA LOUNGE for domestic flights at the Sapporo (New Chitose) airport, the lounges were scheduled to open in midSeptember.

At the lounge reception, designers used washi (Japanese traditional paper) to build the ceiling to represent ‘clouds above the sky.’ Also the chandelier lights using Bohemian glass and long tables with green mosses can be found in the lounges to let customers feel the beauty of the nature of Hokkaido during their stay.

The food and beverage menus are based on premium Hokkaido ingredients, such as cheese tarts, Hokkaido beer, and onigiri rice balls using Hokkaido-produced rice. ANA currently operates other domestic ANA SUITE LOUNGES at Tokyo (Haneda), Osaka (Itami), and Okinawa (Naha) airports.

ANA has branded its sake for Economy Class

NEWS

CATERING

Flying Food Group Supports Air India IAD launch Flying Food Group (FFG) is catering Air India’s new Washington D.C./Dulles to New Delhi service.

The three-times-weekly route launched July 7. It is the first direct service between the two capitals.

“This historic new route effectively links two major global destinations,” said Nicolas Rondeau, FFG Executive Vice President of Airlines Sales. “Air India has been FFG’s customer at EWR, ORD and SFO: we welcome them to IAD. It is affirming when an existing customer chooses FFG catering for an added gate.”

“Because we service AI at four U.S. gates, we can apply our sourcing and purchasing power to benefit all locations,” Rondeau tells PAX International. “We continue to tap our national suppliers to fulfill Air India’s passenger menus at IAD, while also relying on local suppliers for specific fresh products.”

Rondeau said the airline does not change menus on a set schedule. “We continue to respond to evolving customer requests for refresh or redo,” he added FFG provides catering services to more than 80 airlines— primarily international—from its strategic network of 22 US facilities.

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NEWS

LSG Group signs long-term contract for catering at CTU

economic attractiveness (more than 260 Fortune 500 companies have established branches in Chengdu), passenger growth is expected to continue,” said a release from LSG Group.

“This long-term extension is proof of the mutual trust and solid cooperation that we have established with Sichuan Airlines over the past 17 years,” said HK Cheung, LSG Group’s RCOO Asia-Pacific, during the contract signing ceremony. “We are excited about further expanding our activities along with the prosperous development taking place at this strategic and highly important location.”

LSG Group has extended its joint venture contract for 20 years with Sichuan Airlines in Chengdu, in the Sichuan Province of China.

Sichuan Airlines LSG Catering Ltd. was founded in 2000 to provide catering services at the Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (CTU), the major international airport in China’s Sichuan Province (southwestern China).

Today, 300 employees cater 120 flights per day for 29 airlines, including hub carriers Sichuan Airlines, Chengdu Airlines and China Southern Airlines. The contract extension also secures presence at the new Chengdu Tianfu International Airport, which is expected to begin operations in 2023.

Having handled more than 46 million passengers in 2016, CTU is ranked among the world’s top 30 busiest airports and the fourth busiest in mainland China.

Left to right: Jin Dexin, Chairman of the Board of Director “Thanks to its enormous potenof CTU JV, Chen Bin, Deputy General Manager of 3U tial (there are15 million inhabitants Group, HK Cheung, COO, Asia Pacific, LSG Group in the Chengdu area) and the area’s

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PEOPLE NEWS

Matthews joins Monty’s Bakehouse

Jeremy Waszczuk joins AMI Wines

Monty’s Bakehouse announced at the end of July that David Matthews has joined the company as Head of Supply Chain and Operation.

Matthews has more than 25 years’ experience in food business operations and management. He has worked at Rank Hovis, Unilever and Organix in areas such as manufacturing, logistics, operations David Matthews planning and procurement.

He will work closely with Monty’s Bakehouse sites in the United Kingdom, central Europe and United Arab Emirates. He will assist with the company’s global expansion plans and grow the reach of the company’s brand associated packaging, product and logistics expertise.

“The appointment of David Matthews now completes the top team and Monty’s Bakehouse, and we are very much looking forward to David using his expertise to help us hape the future operational and supply chain strategy for the company and its implementation,” said Monty’s Bakehouse CEO Matt Crane.

AMI Wines has announced this summer that Jeremy Waszczuk has joined AMI as Senior Manager, Key Accounts and that Dawn O’Neill has joined the team of account executives at AMI Inflight.

Waszczuk comes to AMI from Patrick Clerget Wines where he had been employed as Export Manager for the past eight years selling wines in airline markets in the U.S. and Asia, as well as in retail markets in the U.S.. He holds a diploma in International Business and a ProfesJeremy Waszczuk sional Degree in the Business of Wines and Spirits at Institut de la Vigne et du Vin Jules Guyot in Dijon, France.

Waszczuk will be responsible for sales to airlines outside of North America and will assist AMI’s current wine sourcing team. He will relocate from Beaune, France to work out of AMI’s office in Barcelona.

O’Neill came to AMI from Retail in Motion where she began working in 2011. During her time at Retail in Motion she managed various key accounts including Ryanair. She has previously worked in a number of marketing and retail companies such as Dixon (the leading electrical retailer in Ireland and the UK). She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business management, a higher national Diploma in Radio Production and a Diploma in Computer applications.

Based in Dublin, she will assist AMI’s efforts to build and increase sales to European airlines, develop bespoke products as well as support European sourcing for the U.S., Asia and Middle East Team. She has extensive airline, F&B, Operations, Buy-onBoard and product development experience, which will enable AMI to focus even better on the individual airline customer’s needs.

Panasonic Avionics names Bartlett CTO

1/4 PAGE Visit us at IFSA, booth no. 3014 20 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

Panasonic Avionics in August announced the appointment of David Bartlett as its new Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO).

Bartlett will be responsible for the continued development of Panasonic Avionics’ technology roadmap, harnessing his extensive experience in David Bartlett software and the Internet of Things.

He previously served as CTO of GE Aviation and was most recently the CTO of Current by GE. GE Aviation is a leading provider of jet and turboprop engines, components and integrated systems. Current, powered by GE, blends LED lighting and solar solutions with networked sensors and software to make cities and buildings energy efficient and smart.

Bartlett also held several management positions at IBM including Director of IBM Europe Software Development Lab, and Vice President of Europe, Middle East and Africa Support and Services. He led IBM’s Autonomic Computing program strategy at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center. As IBM’s Vice President of Smarter Physical Infrastructure, he led digital projects in transportation, smart grid, and smart buildings where he was named one of the “top 15 people in the world to watch” in intelligent buildings.

Meal routines will be simplified and supported by a dedicated crew that took a two-day training course for Club World

REGIONAL REPORT

BA’S BIG MOVE A good night’s sleep and a good meal are at the heart of a massive investment by British Airways in its refreshed Club World service to debut this fall by RICK LUNDSTROM

I

n mid-August of this year, British Airways gave passengers a small hint of some of the changes to come, when it began boarding an historic brand, one that will be rolled out with the airline’s Club World cabin featuring a new restaurant style service and a fresh look geared toward comfort.

Graham’s Six Grapes Port was known as Graham’s Vintage Character Port in the days it was poured at Sir Winston Churchill’s Chartwell House country home. In August, the Port will be a dessert and cheese service choice aboard the Club World cabin, when it is teamed with a service of roasted chocolate and hazelnut tart and the Chedder and Camembert cheese service that is spiced with mulled apple jelly. The investment in Seasonal products, locally sourced will be part of the Club World menu, developed with Do & Co

22 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

Graham’s Six Grapes is an important and rather easy choice, as the airline attests that last year, 41,000 bottles of Port was served to its business class passengers.

But more, much more is taking place in the £400 million (US$523 million) revamp of its Club World cabin. Other features that will be introduced over the next few months and into the coming years include a significant investment in the airline’s lounges and improvements in inflight entertainment and connectivity (see related story page 60).

“We will invest and innovate where our customers value it most, said British Airways’ Alex Cruz, Chairman and CEO in the early April announcement of the revamped Club World. “And differentiate ourselves with a unique onboard experience and service. We’re investing in Club World, focusing now on improved catering and sleep and in the future on a new seat.”

As summer wore on, more details were released about the service as the airline sought to nail down some of the final decisions for products like seating that will be changed out two years on and details in the color scheme.

“The aim for Club World is to deliver a complete refresh of the look and feel of the customer touch points on board,” said Sinead Ferguson, Menu Design Director at British Airways. “The investments in Club World equipment is to anchor the image in marrying

the best elements of British Heritage such as the cut-glass crystal tumbler, with stylish and elegant contemporary design as in a stemless Champagne flute and lightweight fine china.”

What passengers will see, said Ferguson, will be a service that is more personal to the passenger, with a restaurant-style feel that will allow them to select more options for food.

Several aspects of the service were still being finalized as summer came to a close. The colors for the new Club World bedding were still being considered as well as the supplier of a new seat that the airline plans to introduce in 2019. At the moment, British Airways said passengers in Club World would have direct aisle access with the new seat offering as they have now.

Restaurant in the sky Starting this month, British Airways began training crew in a two-day session to teach them the restaurant-style service that will be an important part of the Club World revamp. “The investment in food and equipment is integral to achieving a step change in Club World service routines,” said Ferguson. “Routines will become simplified and make this a cabin which crew are proud to work in.”

For the new dining service, passengers in Club World will see display trolleys allowing them to select from a choice of freshly prepared starters

REGIONAL REPORT and desserts. The airline worked with its UK-based caterer Do & Co to help develop the Club World service. It will first be launched on the airline’s flights between London Heathrow and New York Kennedy before being rolled out across its system next year.

The changes will also be found in the airline’s Club Europe cabins, which will receive new tableware, wine and Champagne served by cabin crew and a new selection of menus that will be more closely focused on the length and the time of day of the flight.

“Generosity of choice will be the hallmarks of the way in which the food is displayed and presented to the customers,” said Ferguson. “Wines will be matched to the menus and will reflect our global reach as an airline.”

Soft-woven comfort The second lynchpin of the airline’s new service is products that enhance sleep, and British Airways has selected a well-known brand for comfort items and amenity kit contents.

“We are passionate about creating the best night’s sleep for all our cus-

24 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

tomers,” said Chrissie Rucker, MBE and founder of the The White Company, the main supplier of bedding and comfort items for Club World.

The White Company opened its first international store in the Flatiron District of Fifth Avenue in New York.

Aboard the Club World cabin, White Company products will be a selection of bespoke items that includes a woven blanket with satin trim, a luxury duvet, a large pillow and cotton pillowcases. Passengers will be given a card that will serve to instruct flight attendants whether they wish to be served breakfast. Finally, in the amenity kits, passengers will find products from the retailer’s Restore & Relax Spa Collection.

Like other aspects of the service, White Company products will be rolled out gradually throughout British Airways’ long-haul routes.

BA’s work in the lounges To go with the work in the cabin, British Airways is investing millions in its network of lounges. In New York/ JFK’s Terminal 7 alone, the airline will spend US$65 million over the next

Passengers will have more choice and a clear look at menu items in the restaurant style service

two years. On tap for the improvements will be the First and Club World lounges in New York as well as improvements in the check-in facilities, security and the boarding gates.

Over the year, the airline says the lounges have seen some new seating, and an outdoor patio has been built in the JFK Club World lounge.

In addition to JFK, British Airways owns lounges in Newark, Baltimore, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington Dulles, Houston, San Francisco and Seattle. Several other stations have

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REGIONAL REPORT third-party lounges used by British Airways. In total, British Airways plans to invest US$110 million in lounge facilities around the country.

British Airways’ newest lounge in the United States is in Boston and opened its doors when the airline began its A380 service to the city from LHR. Next year, the airline will update lounges in Aberdeen, Rome and Geneva. Further out, San Francisco,

An example of the new restaurant style dining and trolleys on British Airways Club World

26 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

Johannesburg, Manchester and Chicago will be slated for improvements.

The other important change for Club World passengers will take place before they board the aircraft. At Terminal 5 at London Heathrow premium passenger in April began what the airline called “First Wing” check-in, which includes a twolane security channel and direct access to the Galleries First Lounge and the Concorde Room at London Heathrow.

British Airways’ Menu, launched September 1

Starters: • Loch Fyne smoked salmon tartare with wasabi crème fraîche • Burrata and tomato carpaccio with olive oil and balsamic dressing • Creamy butternut squash soup with chive and sour cream • Fresh seasonal salad, grilled vegetables and a choice of French dressing or olive oil and balsamic dressing Entrees: • Best of Heritage beef homemade gnocchi in Café de Paris sauce and pan-fried green asparagus • Line-caught grilled Cornish Dover sole with Mediterranean lentils, celeriac mousseline and lemon butter • Homemade artichoke ravioli Parmesan Dessert: • Do & Co‘s double chocolate medley • Lemon tart • Viennese-style apple strudel with vanilla sauce • Fresh strawberries • Cheese board with Somerset brie, Keen’s cheddar, Cropwell Bishop stilton, walnuts, grapes and fig chutney

A heatmap showing the successful use of neuroscience techniques to design and present a First Class cheese and fruit place. The warm color suggests attention intensity and higher visual engagement. The neuroscience test results revealed that the concept, design and arrangement of the food on this plate met 98% acceptance of the test subjects and generated 82% positive emotions towards the airline brand

GUEST COLUMN

Long-live

passenger engagement!

by STATHIS KEFALLONITIS, PH.D. FOUNDER & PRESIDENT AT BRANDING.AERO

C

reating a memorable positive passenger experience requires consistency, reliability and a way to sustain this. In order to enhance this experience, airlines need to constantly evaluate their product and align this with passenger expectations. The competitive nature of airline business requires real change, if an airline wants to win a passenger’s heart. Staying ahead of the game requires keeping up with (if not creating) innovative trends.

A change in passenger needs ultimately equals a change in the airline product and its delivery.

Passengers assess the airline product and service even before the actual flight. This creates certain expectations that airlines are asked to meet and sustain. In addition, through the use of various channels (such as the Internet, airline reviewing bodies, independent passenger associations, regulatory bodies etc.) passengers have access to detailed information about what airlines and their competitors offer.

There are a lot of conflicting messages that airlines project through their product and service experience. This causes passenger confusion with a result of airlines not being able to easily identify what is good and why it is good from a passenger’s perspective.

The “humanization” of airline business In order to attract and retain passengers, airlines have to go beyond the creation and projection of a unique passenger experience. The traditional approach to passenger experience involved one-way communication (airline to passenger).

This approach left little room for passengers to reflect upon a memorable airline experience. The key now is passenger engagement! This mirrors ways that an airline initiates contact with passengers and encourages the development of a relationship through various channels. Ideally this should reflect a two-way communication (airline to passenger and passenger to airline). This has been attempted partially with the use of social media, public relations and marketing events. This is yet destined to go further.

Passenger engagement is also referred to as the “humanization” of airline business. This includes all the possible ways that an airline can develop and sustain a relationship with passengers through every passenger-touch point.

Airlines and onboard service providers are memory generators This passenger engagement movement is here to stay and it is getting increasingly important. Being able to identify what 28 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

generates certain passenger emotions and feelings will help airlines to define and measure what works and what is required. The use of neuroscience in the airline industry suggests that everything passengers do has the ability to change the way they think and act!

The first two North American airlines that started using neuroscience applications are Delta Air Lines and JetBlue. They announced the use of facial recognition at their self-check in kiosks at select airports.

Applying neuroscience techniques in the development, testing and launch of airline products helps us understand the following: • What passengers feel, what their emotions are and what they prefer (this helps generate products that aim at satisfying passengers) • What passengers expect and what kind of information they retain from a flight (seating, lighting, ambiance, food and beverage, service experience, etc.)

• The level of ambiguity of the airline product and ways of making sense of the passenger decision making process • What the optimal airline product mix is (onboard product, buy-onboard, retail on board, meal upgrades, etc.)

• The airline product lifecycle and ways to extend this (amenity kit usage, promotional items, brand loyalty, etc.)

• The level of standardization needed (design, display and arrangement of meals, etc.)

Knowing what passengers value is good but it is more important to know what passengers think, expect or even dream. Using neuroscience techniques to help determine what passengers prefer and how they reach to certain product variations is important. This would be very useful during the product development phase, as the designed product would be right the first time, without requiring adjustments or a costly replacement. Designing and testing airline product prototypes provides a different level of assurance.

Identifying airline product and service features that strengthen the emotional engagement between the airline and passengers helps the airline brand to stand out and strengthens passenger loyalty. In parallel, it ensures consistency and the elicitation of positive passenger emotions. The future remains bright both for airlines and passengers as neuroscience is here to help provide an insight into creating better products and increase satisfaction.

COMPANY PROFILE: MV FOOD & SERVICES MV Food & Services products are all made in Italy with fresh Italian ingredients

FLAVORS OF THE SUN AWARD WINNING WINE in 2013

Offering a combination of authentic Italian fare as well as international flavors, MV Food & Services is bringing a taste of both Italy and the world to the skies by MELISSA SILVA

A

fully owned subsidiary of Castello Monte Vibiano Vecchio, MV Food & Services was established in 2008 with the aim of providing authentic Italian food to the airline industry.

“Producing in Italy is very important, as it allows us to have the best raw ingredients to provide characteristic, fresh Italian flavors,” says Bruno Lefeuvre, Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing for Castello Monte Vibiano Vecchio. “We serve carriers around the globe, so it is important to deliver the true taste of Italy to all of our customers.”

MV Food & Services has divided its range of products into two brands: Primo Gusto and Mediterraneae®. Considered the company’s ‘international’ brand, Primo Gusto offers products that have a more diverse, worldly appeal, created by following renowned recipes that include a range of ingredients and offer multiple application possibilities. As the name suggests, Mediterraneae® is the company’s Mediterranean-specific brand, focusing on the region’s typical famed diet — authentic Italian recipes and regional ingredients, or as Lefeuvre says, “flavors of the sun.”

Earlier this year, MV Food & Services launched genuine Italian gelato made with natural vegetable additives. The decision to produce gelato — specifically soft, “spoonable” gelato — came from Lefeuvre and his team’s own experience with ice cream while traveling, where the ice cream they were served was hard and difficult to spoon.

“We observed the customers’ reaction and frustration with having to wait for the ice cream to melt a bit before being able to eat it,” explains Lefeuvre. “We put two and two together, and realized there wasn’t traditional Italian gelato on any existing airline.

As a lighter product than ice cream, we decided it would be ideal for inflight service, especially gelato that was ‘spoonable’ even when consumed directly from the trolley.”

Lefeuvre says the gelato, which is available in seven flavors — Chocolate, Vanilla from Madagascar, Strawberry, Lemon from Sicily, Cream and Cherry, Pana cotta and Pistachio — has been very successful since its launch. And to what is the success attributed? “Quite simply, it is a customer-friendly gelato made by an equally customer-friendly company that values quality and authenticity,” Lefeuvre adds.

Dan Esc. Pagina Intera.indd 1

www.montevibiano.it tel : + 39 0758783001 e-mail : info@montevibiano.it

www.pax-intl.com | PAX INTERNATIONAL | 29 21-01-2013 21:30:35

COMPANY PROFILE: CASTELLO MONTE VIBIANO

A passionate

production Veteran producer of wine and olive oil, family-owned Castello Monte Vibiano is finding new ways to yield its bounty, with new flavor combinations and offerings, some of which move beyond catering territory by MELISSA SILVA

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family-owned business for centuries, Castello Monte Vibiano Vecchio has a history rich in olive oil and wine production, activities that define the company’s foundation. Hailing from Italy’s Umbria region, commonly known as “the green heart of Italy,” which borders Tuscany and Lazio, Castello Monte Vibiano is home to lush vegetation, making agriculture one of the principal sectors of the Umbrian economy; olives, grapes, wheat and tobacco production top the list of commodities produced in the region.

The company’s castle, Castle Monte Vibiano, is set on a hill overlooking hundreds of hectares of agricultural land and natural forest. Owned by the Fasola family, the castle’s oldest walls were built two centuries before the birth of Christianity, while the remainder of the building was renovated in the 16th century.

Forty hectares of vineyards surround the castle of Monte Vibiano, which are tended to by experienced vintners. In 2003, the company developed a state-of-the-art winery that houses 300 French oak barrels used to age the wine, and 48 computercontrolled stainless steel tanks designed to ensure and maintain the correct temperature of the wine throughout the winemaking process.

Monte Vibiano produces soft, distinguished and highly structured red wines. To do so, the company grows eight grape varieties, although this number can vary from year to year. The company’s current selection of grapes includes Sangiovese, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc, Syrah.

On the olive oil side of the business, Monte Vibiano owns more than 15,000 olive trees, located in the hills surrounding the castle. Production varies from harvest to harvest, as the result of natural climate changes.

“We bottle only the first cold pressing, making all of our oils extra virgin quality,” says Bruno Lefeuvre, Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing for Castello Monte Vibiano. “No reduction in quality is ever accepted. Our policy is to reduce volume if necessary to guarantee top quality every year and for every customer.”

32 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

The MonVi (left), a Red Colli Perugini DOC and L’Andrea (right), a Red Colli Perugini DOC “Super-Tuscan” style wine

The company utilizes a fully computerized system, using state-of-the-art technology to maintain an oxygen-free production environment. Its mill produces the full line of Monte Vibiano olive oils, while the bottling and packaging site is linked to the production site by underground pipelines.

In 1999 Monte Vibiano launched special olive oils infused with balsamic vinegar, chili, truffle, basil and oregano. The success of the new oils convinced the company to extend the range of flavors further, leading to new combinations like vanilla, cinnamon, caramel and tangerine among others.

This year, Monte Vibiano launched a new flavor of extra virgin olive oil mixed with sesame oil, which pairs well with Asian dishes.

“After all this time, we continue to receive awards for the best olive oil in international competitions,” says Lefeuvre. “We take great care of our property, olive trees and our land in the best way possible.

As in every job, where there is passion, there is outstanding results.”

Making the most of its olive tree bounty, Castello Monte Vibiano recently developed a range of anti-aging cosmetics and wellness products featuring a regenerating formula that was developed with the active principles extracted from olive trees. The range is currently offered to First and Business Class passengers on board Qatar Airways.

Click here to see a scenic view of Castello Monte Vibiano’s property Castello Monte Vibiano bottles only the first cold pressing, making all of its oils extra virgin quality

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Though not always the most convenient food item to eat during a flight, seafood has just as much appeal in the sky as it does on the ground, prompting suppliers to be creative with their offerings by MELISSA SILVA

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here is something about seafood that brings a little je ne sais quoi to a meal, whether it is a lobster tail, grilled shrimp skewers or delicately seared scallops.

When combined with a meat item, such as grilled steak or chicken, the grouping is popularly referred to as ‘surf n’ turf ’ — a dish that represents offerings from both land and sea.

While sometimes thought to be too heavy — or potentially too costly — for onboard consumption in its traditional form, suppliers are finding more convenient, on-the-go ways of offering passengers a little surf n’ turf, along with of course, separate seafood and meat options, like AMI’s new lobster hand pies

by Hancock Lobster. Made with an all-butter pastry filled with lobster and savory herbs, cream, Swiss cheese, rice and cremini mushrooms — or a customized filling — the pies can be eaten by hand or with a fork — ideal for enjoying seafood in the sky.

The gold standard Canadian seafood company Clearwater Seafoods says with today’s airline operators continuing to improve and enhance their onboard catering menus, the company has noticed an increased demand for seafood items on board, including lobster — a favorite for onboard menus.

“Products like Clearwater’s Nova Scotia Prime Lobster, a ready-to-cook lobster product in a frozen raw meat format, are ideal to meet this growing demand,” says Diana Hanus, Marketing Director, Clearwater Seafoods.

“Through a specialized high-pressure extraction process, raw lobster meat is released from its shell and then frozen in a variety of formats, giving operators the versatility to offer a product in a variety of applications, without the inconvenience of cooking and shelling live lobster.”

Hanus says that Nova Scotia Prime Lobster also

Clearwater’s Nova Scotia Prime Lobster, a ready-tocook lobster product in a frozen raw meat format

34 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

eliminates the logistics around delivery and storage of live product. “This product can simply be stored in a freezer so airline operators can benefit from on-demand access and rely on year-round availability for guaranteed supply throughout the seasons,” she adds.

Clearwater recently expanded its shellfish offerings with the introduction of its Norway Lobster after its acquisition of Scotland-based Macduff Shellfish Group. Sustainably harvested from the cold, clear waters surrounding the United Kingdom, Clearwater’s Norway Lobster is prized for its delicate flesh and sweet taste. Norway Lobsters are slim, with orange-pink shells and bodies growing up to 10 inches long.

Recently introduced to the North American marketplace, Clearwater’s Norway Lobster is now available in a handpeeled shell-off and deveined tail format. Tails are hand peeled, deveined and individually quick frozen (IQF) at the company’s processing facilities on land, making them ideal for high-end applications or more mainstream items alike.

Tapping into the surf n’ turf domain, Clearwater’s Canadian Sea Scallops are also available in a bacon-wrapped format. The scallops are wrapped in lightly-smoked bacon, making them ideal for an oven- or pan-ready appetizer option. “Quick and easy to prepare, the Bacon Wrapped Sea Scallops allow today’s airline operators the opportunity to offer a convenient and delicious ‘surf and turf ’ menu option to their passengers,” says Hanus.

Clearwater’s Hand Peeled Deveined Norway Lobster Tails are also ideal for ‘surf and turf ’ options because of the plate coverage and presentation they offer, and also make an appealing garnish or protein topper for grilled steak or chicken.

With seafood offerings, there is always the question of harvest practices, with today’s consumers increasingly interested in the traceability and sustainability of the seafood they purchase.

“Sustainable seafood harvesting has always been at the core of Clearwater’s business since day one and as a verticallyintegrated company, we’re able to provide our customers with

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SURF N’ TURF ocean-to-plate traceability, explains Hanus. “In fact, Clearwater offers the widest range of Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified species of any shellfish harvester worldwide — the industry’s gold standard for third-party certification.”

At this year’s International Flight Services Association (IFSA) Expo in Long Beach, Clearwater will be participating in the chef ’s demonstration with its Hand Peeled Deveined Norway Lobster Tails, Whole Norway Lobster and Nova Scotia Prime Lobster.

Diving deep Based on feedback from the LSG Groups Culinary Excellence team, LSG Sky Chefs has noticed a recent deep-sea farming trend, prompting the caterer to consider sourcing more ‘high-end’ classes of fish, such as cobia, which is farmed in sustainable open water farms, for example

by Open Blue, a sustainable fish farming company.

Over its many years of operation, LSG Sky Chefs has developed a number of dishes with surf n’ turf elements, including its Grilled Beef Filet with Lobster Mac and Cheese and its Pan-seared Salmon with Seared Citrus Pork Belly.

“The demand for Surf ‘n’ Turf dishes varies greatly across the different world regions, depending on local tastes and demands, but this is certainly something we cater to our customers whenever the demand comes up,” says Josefine Corsten, spokesperson for LSG Group.

Due to the health benefits seafood and fish offer, Corsten says here is a high demand for seafood on board today, whereas the demand for meat has remained unchanged.

Jörg Tüttelmann, Vice President of Culinary Excellence at LSG Group says LSG Sky Chefs works closely with its suppliers to ensure sustainability and quality. “We align with our customers to meet each of their specific demands in terms of sustainability and source ASC- or MSC-certified fish depending on our customers’ demands,” he explains.

With the intention of incorporating smart cooking techniques to provide high-quality meat at a reasonable price to its customers, LSG Sky Chefs has taken on sous vide — the increasingly popular slow-cooking method that ensures tenderly cooked meat that retains its full flavor. “We are selling sous vide cooked products mostly to customers in the U.S., but it is available in other regions as well,” adds Tüttelmann.

In addition to adopting the sous vide cooking method, the LSG Groups Culinary Excellence team recently developed a new meal concept called FlyYourVeda®, which consists of meals designed for frequent flyers on long-haul flights that take into account cabin conditions, like low air pressure and dry air. Tüttelmann developed the concept based on his own experience, realizing that the food consumed on board sometimes kept him awake on an evening flight, or would make him lethargic during a daytime flight.

FlyYourVeda® offers an “activating” and “relaxing” menu option. The former is designed for daytime flights and includes superfoods such as berries and seeds to aid with concentration and support cognitive functions, while the latter has been specifically prepared for night flights to help passengers relax and sleep well. Both menus are based on easily digestible, nutritious, high-quality foods; the proteins stem mostly from plant-based ingredients. The menus were introduced this past April to visitors of the World Travel Catering and Onboard Services Expo (WTCE) in Hamburg.

36 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

Cuisine Solutions’ skinless, boneless and fully trimmed seared salmon with lemon grass

Going the distance Sous vide veterans Cuisine Solutions offers a wide range of sous vide products, including its slow-cooked beef tenderloin seasoned with roasted garlic, salt, and black pepper; a tender pork belly, marinated and slow cooked in a blend of ginger, coriander, and cinnamon; and a slow-cooked duck breast served in a sweet Asian-style sauce. Also on offer sous vide style is seafood.

“Each of our sous vide seafood products offers a multitude of menu options so airlines can deliver restaurantquality meals using our flaky grilled Arapaima from the Amazon, our skinless, boneless and fully trimmed seared salmon with lemon grass and our gourmet poached octopus,” says J. Hemmer, Director of Sales, On-Board Services for Cuisine Solutions. “They have all been slow cooked sous-vide until perfectly tender.”

Sustainable ingredient sourcing has been a longstanding priority for Cuisine Solutions, along with sourcing raw materials of the highest quality. The supplier’s allnatural Arapaima for example, is sourced directly from the waters of the Amazon basin in South America.

“Cuisine Solutions’ buyer once embarked on a journey to Bristol Bay to vet salmon suppliers in the name of quality and sustainability,” shares Hemmer. “He believed true Alaskan sockeye is superior to other options because the fish are part of the natural ecosystem.”

To facilitate production for the Asian market, Cuisine Solutions is opening a 2,400-square-meter fully-equipped facility near Bangkok in Thailand. In addition to simplifying production, the plant will also have a research and development center that will source high-quality raw materials and local ingredients to help expand Cuisine Solutions’ ethnic cuisine offering.

“The plant will mainly produce seafood, poultry, pork, beef and red meat for airlines and airline caterers,” explains Hemmer.

At this year’s IFSA Expo in Long Beach, Cuisine Solutions will be showcasing its Coconut Chia Seed Oatmeal, Poached Octopus, Creamy Polenta, Beef Tenderloin, Beef Short Rib, and a Chicken Curry Stew from Thailand.

Sustainably farmed cobia, prepared by LSG Groups Culinary Excellence team

WINE REPORT

HEARTY GRAPES

The Wine Institute last year set up a stand at the Hong Kong Vinexpo. Hong Kong was the secondlargest export market for California wines last year

Favorable weather has returned to the wine growing regions of California, and producers say airlines around the world are keen for the quality products and freely spending on the tried and true vintages by RICK LUNDSTROM

T

he rains have returned in recent years to the lush and lovely growing regions that make up the multi-billion dollar wine producing industry in California, home of this year’s International Flight Services Association airline catering event.

Airlines from around the world will be converging on Long Beach. During the week, food and beverage service will be discussed in the many stands, and the latest offerings from the Golden State will be tested and tasted.

Suppliers say profitable carriers are seeking out higher end wine offerings and boarding a selection that offers more choices for airline passengers most notably in the front cabin.

In the late summer of this year, wine producers had seen a 2017 of early, timely rains and were mere weeks away from the first phase of the harvest. If the rains hold out, a fall of high-quality grapes and high production could certainly make the year memorable.

After years of drought that tested the crops and the economies, the sector began to regain its potential in 2015. At the end of the year, the state’s wine sector showed double-digit sales growth contributing to both the state’s and the country’s economy. The Wine Institute, a advocacy group for California producers reported the state-wide impact of sales and jobs

38 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

was US$57.6 billion in 2015, a 17% increase from the previous year. The national impact of wine production in California was even more pronounced. Figures show that national impact of the industry was US$114.1 billion, a 19% increase from 2014.

More current export figures tell the story of increasing influence among consumers around the world. In 2016, U.S. wine exports reached a new record, of US$1.62 billion, which was also a record. Among the U.S. wine exports, 90% were from California in 2016. Top five export markets for California wines were Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, China and Mexico.

“California wine is an economic engine for our nation,” said Wine Institute President and CEO Robert P. Koch. “Our predominantly small, family-owned businesses create jobs, pay significant taxes and give back generously to charities and communities.

“These are significant accomplishments when the strong dollar and pressure from imports make the U.S. the competitive wine market in the world, and we continue to face the threat of increased taxes and regulation at every level of government.”

One of the top 20 wine exporters from the United States are the estate grown wines of Wente Vineyards, which has fields of grapes, old and new in Livermore and Monterey, California. For more than 100 years the company’s

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www.pax-intl.com | PAX INTERNATIONAL | 39

WINE REPORT specialty has been the Chardonnay. The vineyard’s Morning Fog Chardonnay was recently picked for the Club World cabin on British Airways. The 2016 Chardonnay also earned a 92 of 100 point rating from Decanter magazine.

At any given time, approximately a dozen airlines have Wente products aboard. The whites and reds in 187cl glass are part of the buy-on-board offering on Delta Air Lines.

The vineyard has been planting new fields aggressively for the past few years, said Michael Parr, International at Wente Vineyards. Even with the increased acreage, the estate-grown wines face the challenge of supplying enough product for airline customers. An estate-grown wine has both advantages and limitations, said Parr.

“It provides consistency of style and flavor profile,” he said. “But the bad news is, we can run out; because we cannot just turn on the spigot and make more wine.”

Parr said that the challenge has recently been offset somewhat because airlines are beginning to offer a wider selection, which requires less volume. Parr said some of the company’s selection has fared so well, customers have asked for a second or third shipment. In addition to the company’s signature Chardonnays, Wente produces a Pinot Grigio from Livermore, and its Arroyo Seco sparkling wine from Monterey.

Supplying quality Consecutive years of growth have now made the United States the largest wine market in the world. Now that wine has firmly attracted the attention of American consumers, the next logical step is the desire by the consumers for higher-quality drinks.

Wines above US$10 are growing in popularity and volume, said

Gladys Horiuchi, a spokesperson for The Wine Institute. Chardonnay is still the top varietal in the U.S. market, she says, however notable interest is growing for red wine blends.

In addition to experimenting with a wider selection of offerings, airlines are also experimenting with bottling materials and sizes. Mark O’Sullivan, President of Michael J. Devine & Associates, industry supplier in Manhattan Beach, California has been selling to airlines, cruise lines and duty free operators since 1983. O’Sullivan was visiting a major American carrier when he caught up with PAX International this summer.

The allure of 187cl bottles in PET packaging and 375cl bottles for premium purchasing is being embraced more and more by airlines, said O’Sullivan. In addition to bottles, O’Sullivan sees airlines even willing to look at wines served in cans.

PET products with screw caps have a particular set of advantages for the airlines. Not only are the products easy for flight attendants to distribute and open, they also have the added weight savings and decreased fuel

Wente’s Morning Fog Chardonnay was recently picked by British Airways

TAP Portugal launches domestic wine support program Similar to its “Taste the Stars” project, TAP Portugal in September is launching the “TAP Wine Experience,” which aims to transform the airline into a source for publicizing and offering a taste of Portuguese wine around the world.

TAP has plans to purchase 2.5 million bottles of Portuguese wine over the next two years. The new wine list will have an on-board selection of white and red wines, rosés, sparkling wines, Port wine and moscatel.

Over the summer, TAP invited all of the country’s wine producers help fill out its menu for Portuguese cuisine and its local specialties.

TAP is also giving producers the chance to set up tasting and promotional synergies with passengers at 85 destinations, which the airline will be flying to by the end of the year, as well as offering a choice of the periods and routes which they consider most important for their internationalization strategies.

Cabin crew will receive training to become knowledgeable and experienced servers of the new wine list. The “TAP Wine Experience” also aims to expand its media channels to promote Portuguese wines, with

40 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

a first-of-its-kind Wine Tour in the cards.

TAP invited wine specialists and journalists from around the world to get to know the national producers and winemaking regions. TAP will also be responsible for organizing international events to capture new markets, with particular focus on Brazil and North America.

Last June, the Global Traveler magazine awarded the first and third places to the wines served by TAP in its executive class. TAP was awarded Gold in the category of sparkling wines, with the Luís Pato Blanc de Blancs from the Bairrada region. The Bronze award was given to TAP for its complete range of wines served in Business Class. Ranked fourth was the red Dona Maria (2014), and the white Paulo Laureano Reserva (2015) in fifth.

The wines of TAP were already given awards by Global Traveler in 2016, with the Paulo Laureano Reserva 2014, from Alentejo, called “Best International Business Class White Wine”, and the Churchill’s Estates Grande Reserva 2011, from Douro, coming second in “Best International Business Class Red White.”

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WINE REPORT burn in the airline cabin and during shipment. O’Sullivan said airlines ordering PET bottles can receive larger shipments of more wine product with measurably less weight than that of glass.

AMI began with food and nonalcoholic beverage sales but quickly found an opportunity for wine sales and currently 20% of the sales of AMI is made in the company’s wine business. Recently, AMI Wines expanded staff, adding Jeremy Waszczuk, Senior Manager, Key Accounts with an emphasis on airlines outside North America and will assist AMI’s current wine sourcing team. He will relocate from Beaune, France to work out of AMI’s office in Barcelona.

The additional staffing was primarily done to strengthen the company’s business team to sell to Asian, Middle Eastern and European carriers.

AMI Group sources wine from wine regions throughout the world as well as the state of California, and has contracts with several of the state’s wineries in its portfolio, among them the wines from Gallo, Trinchero Family estates and Scheid Vineyards among others. The company has seen the need recently to source wines outside the company’s regular portfolio to fill the needs of airlines seeking higher quality wines for transcontinental and international long haul flights to meet marketing demands.

Suppliers have been able to improve the quality of wines because of better growing techniques such as trellising and ample irrigation, which have improved the quality and offset some of the vicissitudes of the weather said Denise Poole, CEO of AMI Inflight.

42 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

Three California wines part of the AMI Group portfolio

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HEALTHY SNACKING

THE BEST OF HEALTH These leading suppliers to the airline industry are responding to the upswing in demand for healthy snacks from increasingly healthconscious travelers by MARY JANE PITTILLA

F

rom the trolleys to the lounges, airlines are giving passengers a range of clean, simple snacking fare that was not on the radar a decade ago.

Ingredients that were once exotic and confined to co-ops and health food stores are now part of the smack selection of companies contacted by PAX International. Most of the snacks discussed in this report will be available for sampling at this year’s International Flight Services Association event in Long Beach.

Andrea Pratt, Director of Product Development at airline supplier AMI Inflight, is seeing a trend in the snack bar category for “clean label” products (products made from natural ingredients with no artificial ingredients and chemicals). To this end, the company is working with new brands that are concerned about appropriate levels of whole grains, fiber and sugar, such as Rubicon and Health Warrior.

“Clean labels continue to be more and more important,” says Pratt.

“Snacks which in the past were viewed as ‘health food snacks’ and only popu-

AMI Inflight is seeing a trend in the snack bar category for clean label products made from natural ingredients with no artificial ingredients and chemicals

44 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

lar with a small percentage of the population are now mainstream. This would be items such as Harvest Snaps and Simply 7 Quinoa Hummus or Lentil Chips.”

In general, AMI Inflight is seeing a public more and more concerned about their food choices as well as being educated on them. Raw vegetables with hummus, salad bar options and grain salads are now popular.

“This of course never fully takes away the desire for some comfort foods when traveling, which plays to the popularity of soups, pasta, macaroni and cheese, popcorn, snack mix, etc,” says Pratt.

AMI Inflight works specifically with the airlines and their contractors such as the caterers. Pratt notes that snack lines are periodically tapped for premium airline lounges. “The key here is that the lounges are typically looking for product available in bulk as opposed to individual bags that are more likely used onboard.”

In today’s market, popcorn and seeds seem to be really popular products, but in much healthier formats than in the past, according to Kim Brown, Director of Marketing at airline supplier DFMi, who cites as examples Pop’d Kerns corn crunches and SuperSeedz dry roasted pumpkin seeds.

Saffron Road Chickpeas are creating a lot of interest from the company’s customers, as well. Chobani smooth yogurt beverages and Way Better Snacks are also performing well in the healthy snacking category.

Some of DFMi’s most successful snacks are Nature’s Bakery Bars, Chobani Greek Yogurt, Partners Crackers, Gilman Cheese Planks, and Ocean Spray Craisins.

i love snacks’ award-winning (Great Taste 2017) smoked almonds in a 25-gram pouch

Saffron Road Chickpeas are creating a lot of interest from DFMi’s customers. Pictured here are Saffron Road’s Chickbean Sea Salt Crisps (0.75oz)

In terms of consumer trends, Brown says that airlines are more in tune with the millennial generation, who are now flying more frequently.

“They look for fresh, clean and natural labeled products, which is where we are seeing a lot of the trends in our market today,” she says. “The smart traveler no longer wants the GMO altered or preservative packed products. Instead, they are looking for healthy snacks with great shelf life like our Nature’s Bakery Fig Bars, Way Better Snacks, and Saffron Road Snacks.”

For the love of snacks In the healthy snacking category, En Route International partnered with i love snacks as its exclusive supplier Article continues on page 50

W W W. I F S A N E T.C O M

Schedule of Events 1

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BOARD 1. CEO Joe Leader CEO International Flight Services Association & Airline Passenger Experienc 2. President Jane Bernier-Tran Director of Training and Regulatory, The Americas Menzies Aviation 3. Vice President Paul Platamone Global Vice President Sales & Marketing Harvey Alpert & Company/Oakfield Farms Solutions 4. Treasurer Jim Ball Vice President of Sales & Service Flying Food Group 5. Secretary Stephen Kingsley Managing Director Flight Service Food & Beverage American Airlines 6. Chairperson Pam Suder-Smith Director of Sales Gate Gourmet/gategroup

DIRECTORS 7. Randy Barnard Managing Director of Solutions LSG Lufthansa Service Holding AG North American Solutions 8. Darren Bott Vice President Catering – Global Food & Beverage Emirates

13. Varangkana Luerojvong Managing Director of Thai Catering Department Thai Airways & Thai Catering Department Suvarnabhumi Airport 14. Rachel McCarthy Senior Vice President, Talent & Learning JetBlue Airways

9. Kimberly Guanci Dylewski Chief Executive Officer Campione d’Italia Foods, LLC

15. Dan Mord General Manager Menu & Service Development Delta Airlines

10. Jon Harwood Procurement & Supply Chain Strategy dnata

16. Mark O’Sullivan President Michael J. Devine & Associates

11. Chris Kinsella Vice President Sales & Services Gate Gourmet

17. Rob Bradford Managing Director for Global Product Design United Airlines

12. Marcel Lagnaz Senior Executive Vice President of Operation Gourmet Foods, Inc.

18. Steve Murtoff (Not Pictured) Senior Director, Onboard Experience & Policy Southwest Airlines

Schedule of Events SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 24

9:30 AM – 10:30 AM

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM

Committee Meetings Convention Center ............................................................Various

Executive Committee Meeting* Hyatt Regency ............................................................ Shoreline B

10:30 AM

9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

EXPO Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Convention Center ................................................. Exhibit Hall A

Board of Directors Meeting* Hyatt Regency ............................................................ Shoreline B

10:30 AM – 6:00 PM

3:00 PM – 6:30 PM

IFSA 2017 EXPO Open Convention Center ................................................. Exhibit Hall A

IFSA Registration Desk Open Convention Center ................................................... Pre-function

12:30 PM – 1:15 PM

7:30 PM – 10:00 PM Foundation Board Dinner*, Planning Committee Dinner* Offsite .........................................................................................TBD

Annual General Session & Foundation Update Convention Center .................................................... IFSA Galley

12:30 PM – 2:00 PM

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 25

IFSA Attendee Lunch Convention Center .................................................... IFSA Galley

8:45 AM – 5:00 PM

2:30 PM – 3:00 PM

APEX Education (IFSA Members Welcome) Convention Center ............................................................Various

DFS Live Company Demo Convention Center .................................................... IFSA Galley

7:00 PM – 10:30 PM 7:30 AM – 6:00 PM IFSA Registration Desk Open Convention Center ..................................................Pre-Function

IFSA Social Networking Event Hotel Maya ......................................................................... Pavilion

10:30 PM – 1:00 AM IFSA EDUCATION (APEX Members Welcome) 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM IFSA Education: Who wants to be Master of Regulatory compliance?

Convention Center ...................................... Promenade 204 IFSA Education: Give Yourself Permission to Make a Hard Decision Convention Center ...................................... Promenade 204 IFSA Education: Airline Q&A – An Intro into the Industry Convention Center ...................................... Promenade 204

5:30 PM – 7:00 PM Welcome Reception & Awards Ceremony Renaissance Hotel ...................................... Bixby Ballroom

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 26 7:00 AM – 10:00 AM Exhibitor Set-Up Convention Center ................................................. Exhibit Hall A

7:30 AM – 6:00 PM IFSA Registration Desk Open Convention Center ..................................................Pre-Function

IFSA Hospitality Suite Renaissance Hotel .................................................................... SIP

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 27 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM IFSA Registration Desk Open Convention Center ..................................................Pre-Function

10:00 AM – 6:00 PM IFSA 2017 EXPO OPEN Convention Center ................................................. Exhibit Hall A

11:00 AM – 11:30 AM Celebrity Chef Maneet Chauhan Live Company Demo Convention Center .................................................... IFSA Galley

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM IFSA Attendee Lunch Convention Center .................................................... IFSA Galley

2:00 PM – 2:30 PM Sky Cuisine Live Company Demo Convention Center .................................................... IFSA Galley

3:30 PM – 4:00 PM Sky Cuisine Live Company Demo Convention Center .................................................... IFSA Galley

6:00 PM EXPO Adjourns

* Invitation only

Education & Speakers Give Yourself Permission to Make a Hard Decision We make decisions and choices all day - everyday, but some bear more weight and responsibility than others and are stressful for us to make. In this talk executive life coach Priya Rana Kapoor will share some of the research on decision-making and explore some techniques to help you make better and easier decisions for you and your life. These concepts can be used both professionally and personally. Decisions and choices don’t have to be anxiety-inducing, and this session will take the sting out of it all.

Who wants to be Master of Regulatory compliance?

An expert panel discussion covering topics ranging from preclearance, labeling, food safety, as well as current and upcoming EU regulations effecting the airline industry.

Jessica O’Connell, Covington & Burling LLP Dean Davidson, IFSA Food Safety Consultant, Retired FDA Interstate Commerce Amber Drown, Agriculture Operations Manager, Preclearance Field Office, Customs Border Protection, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, USDA Representative

Priya Kapoor, Speaker, Author, Life Coach

Airline Catering Panel Discussion Attend an informal Q&A session with key airline representatives about inflight catering. Take advantage of an opportunity to ask questions about the general process of selecting & sourcing products used in the airline food & beverage industry. Gain insight on the best ways to present your products, tailor them to airline needs & understand production requirements for different markets.

IFSA 2017 Compass Awards Ceremony From exceptional inflight service, to truly innovative food, our members are the driving force pushing the industry forward. We’re proud to announce a new awards program that will honor those dedicated to advancing the onboard services industry, and recognize seven winners at this year’s annual conference. The awards program will honor influential companies around the globe who have displayed creativity, excellence and innovation within the inflight onboard services industry.

These leaders will be announced at the IFSA Compass Awards Ceremony alongside PAX International, the ceremony’s official media sponsor, on Monday, September 25 during the Welcome Reception.

Media Partner

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The 2017 Categories are Listed Below: •

Best Inflight Food

•

Best Inflight Beverage

•

Best Onboard Amenity

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Best Catering/Food Service/Galley Equipment

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Caterer of the Year

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Airline of the Year

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Supplier of the Year

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PAX Pay it Forward Award

HEALTHY SNACKING

FlyFit has added to its portfolio 100% Oat Cookies in six different flavors, described as all natural, with no palm oil and without any added sugars

to the travel industry. The company has a wide product range to suit almost every dietary requirement.

The company offers natural Italian olives, gently dehydrated fruits such as mango and baby pineapple, as well as the award-winning (Great Taste 2017) smoked almonds, and a treat that contains 70% Cocoa Belgian chocolate.

All the snacks are gluten and GMOfree, suitable for vegetarians and vegans, as well as high in fiber and protein. It also offers rice chips in four flavors.

“We will be adding further products to the selection in the upcoming months, including dried longan (a tropical fruit) aimed specifically at the Chinese market,” says Amanda Cook, Director of i love snacks.

UK-based En Route provides the snacks to some airlines, specifically Olives, Mango and Almonds in 25-gram size packs.

After exhibiting i love snacks at the World Travel Catering and Onboard Services Expo earlier this year, several airlines have shown interest in the product range. Also, En Route’s tapas range is extremely popular with buy-onboard airlines.

In terms of emerging trends, Aoifa French, En Route’s Business Development Manager for Europe, says: “There definitely seems to be a lot more inter-

Group SOI has introduced Authentic Mini Bites mini handheld filled pizza in different shapes, such as the Bouquet

50 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

est in grazing and sharing items.”

FlyFit, a business unit of Vitalit Labs Int., develops healthy premium food, drinks, and vitamin-enhanced supplements. Its products and packaging are designed to be ambient, lightweight, and meet airline requirements.

New snacking products include 100% Oat Cookies in six flavors. They are all natural, with no palm oil and without any added sugars.

The company’s FlyFit branded chocolates with 70% cacao have been launched in several Business Class cabins and Starwood Hotels, including W-Hotels and Resorts and Hilton Group.

The tablets are available in 70% Dark Chocolate with Probiotic; and 70% Dark Chocolate Infused with Pomegranate Flakes. Both are offered in 7.5-gram tablets, sized for trays, snack baskets or snack boxes.

This year, FlyFit also introduced an 11-gram Organic Forest Fruit Cruesli Mix to complement its FlyFit yoghurt.

FlyFit Antioxidant Fruit and Nut Mix (4oz) is a healthy snack that comes in a stand-up, resealable bag sized for onboard retail. This gluten-free product launched on United Airlines in April in its buy-on-board menu.

The company sells FlyFit products in 30-plus WHSmith airport shops throughout Europe and the Middle East, such as FlyFit nutritional bars, nut mixes and vitamin shots in packs of 10.

FlyFit also supplies many airline lounges. “The vitamin shots, granola bars and nut mixes are very well received,” says the firm, adding: “The lounges are moving to healthy alternatives, more focused on the well-being of the traveler, which means we are at the right place.”

Group SOI has a number of new items for airline customers seeking healthy snacks. They include Authentic Mini Bites in different special shapes: Mini Caruso, Piccoli and Bouquet. This artisan

mini filled pizza is a hand-held product.

Also new is the Thin Base Pizza Triangle Slice in a 70- to 90-gram size.

The Italian company’s best-selling lines are the traditional stone oven baked Pizza Margherita with Onions and the Original “Sorrentina” with Grilled Vegetables. Both pizzas are hand-held snacks.

Group SOI does not sell to the concessionaires at the airports, but does supply airline lounges. “For the service lounges we can tailor make snack products, personalizing the size and shape of the snack,” the company says. “We have supplied mini square pizza slices topped with fresh vegetables and mozzarella cheese, and also mini calzone shape snacks filled with grilled vegetables and premium cheese.”

The company is seeing a lot more interest in what type of food is prepared in the lounges. “Our premium products are now being considered as an easy and convenient solution as well as a high quality service,” it says.

In terms of trends, Group SOI notes more requests for special dietary hot snacks. It has developed a range of 14 savory hand-held hot snacks to cover the following IATA dietary codes: ORML (Oriental Meal), HNML (Hindu Non-Vegetarian Meal), AVML (Asian Vegetarian Meal), VOML (Vegetarian Oriental Meal), LCML (Low Calorie Meal), LFML (Low Fat Meal), NLML (No Lactose Meal), VGML (Vegetarian Vegan Meal), CHML (Children’s Meal), SFML (Seafood Meal), MOML (Muslim Meal), VLML (Vegetarian Lacto-Ovo Meal), BLML (Bland/Soft Meal), and LSML (Low Salt Meal).

Having looked at current trends and healthy products, Oakfield Farms developed in collaboration with a customer a wholesome complete gluten-free meal box.

With carefully selected items and a clean and fresh box design, the Feel

An information card is available inside each Feel Good Snack Box that also tells the story of each product

HEALTHY SNACKING Good Snack Box is described by the company as indulgent, while at the same time guilt free. By covering various snack options, the box is designed to be a healthy and enjoyable meal solution.

As a fully ambient product, the meal box is an ideal offering for any buy-onboard program, with a long shelf-life and optimized in size to fit the airline standard cart drawers. Additionally, it can also be used to facilitate a complimentary special meal program.

All products are selected to bring a specific nutritional benefit to passengers.

This is summarized on an information card available inside each meal box that also tells the story of each product.

The Feel Good Snack Box includes: Nairns Gluten Free Wholegrain Cracker, made with wholegrain gluten-free oats, described as light and crispy; The Primal Pantry Bar, a snack bar free from gluten, dairy, soy, grains, flavorings and refined sugars; FlyFit Fruit & Nut Mix; Hummus, based on a traditional Lebanese recipe, ideally served with crackers; and Crunch Corn – Salt & Pepper. This half-popped corn, with sea salt and cracked black pepper, is gluten-free,

52 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

nut-free and suitable for vegetarians.

Partners Crackers Partners has an assortment of natural, organic, and gluten-free options for passengers. Crafted exclusively with authentic non-GMO ingredients, all crackers are free of high-fructose corn syrup, artificial preservatives, and hydrogenated oils. In addition to excellent ingredients, each is slow baked in the oven, creating a signature crispy texture.

Partners Crackers was the original cracker line when the company was founded in 1992. The classic Olive Oil and Sea Salt snack cracker is enjoyable on its own or pairs well with anything, while Everything & More is packed with five whole grains, six seeds, onion juice, and in-house roasted garlic.

Blue Star Farms is the certified organic line in the Partners portfolio and is made for the customer with a passion for organic snacks that are made with “better for you” ingredients. These wellbalanced savory crackers are available in Whole Wheat and Sprouted Lentil & Ancient Grains, which are crafted from a hearty blend of ingredients like sprouted

Partners offers an assortment of natural, organic, and gluten-free options for passengers, crafted with authentic non-GMO ingredients

lentil, millet, sorghum, and chia seeds.

When creating its certified glutenfree line, Free For All Kitchen, Partners set out to offer gourmet products that everyone can enjoy and carefully selected ingredients that are gluten-free and also free from soy, corn, white rice, nuts, and eggs. Made from scratch with five ancient whole grains, cassava root flour, real butter, and buttermilk, Free For All Kitchen Snack Crackers are available in Olive Oil & Sea Salt, Olive Oil & Herb, and Roasted Garlic & Rosemary.

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Over the years, gategroup’s fleet has been kept stable and organic growth has been absorbed by improved fleet efficiencies

CATERING

getting the green light

The catering truck industry is becoming ever more high-tech as it moves towards an electrically powered future by MARY JANE PITTILLA

W

hen the brightly logoed catering-truck-of-thefuture moves across the tarmac at one of the world’s airports, will it be powered by traditional fuel sources or greener technology?

Will it slowly pull up to the aircraft using a driver’s careful skills honed with years of experience, or guided by sensors? Will it even have a driver at all?

Manufacturers and caterers contemplate those subjects, and the maze of varied international regulations, as they assess the immediate state of the thousands of trucks now lumbering through the aviation industry and the thousands yet to be made.

One of the companies thinking about the future is Mallaghan, the largest global manufacturer of aircraft catering trucks. With more than 20 years of experience in the sector, the company has its headquarters in Northern Ireland, where its main manufacturing facility is based, and two assembly plants in the U.S. and China. To serve its global network of international clients, Mallaghan has offices in London, Berlin, Dubai, Singapore and the U.S. Mallaghan supplies many of the major airline catering companies – for

“Mallaghan offers a total global solution for global airlines, and this is the big attraction of our company,” explains Sales Director Owen Mc Kenna

54 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

example Gate Gourmet and Servair (now part of gategroup), LSG Sky Chefs, Newrest, and dnata (Alpha Flight Catering) – as well as the airlines that self-cater.

“Mallaghan ffers a total global solution for global airlines, and this is the big attraction of our company,” explains Owen Mc Kenna, Sales Director, Mallaghan. The firm’s supply chain operates across North America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australasia. “We have a good mix of customers in different regions and we’re not reliant on one market or customer. It’s a very balanced and even global customer base.”

Innovation is important to the firm.

“Our motto is ‘Innovation for Aviation,’ and we pride ourselves on innovations in our manufacturing. All our catering trucks are bespoke and manufactured in-house,” says Mc Kenna.

One new innovation is the doubledeck catering truck. This first-of-a-kind, vehicle that has been specially designed to create an internal double-deck space with numerous key benefits and cost efficiencies. Mallaghan’s designed and manufactured truck not only lessens the need for journeys between aircraft and kitchen, it significantly lowers transportation costs whilst also reducing carbon emissions.

Through the use of clever technology, this internal double-tiered space creates a 74% increase in load capacity.

This new-generation catering truck is a significant advancement for the airline industry and conducive to a more sustainable future, says the firm. For a typical long/short haul operation at a major airport, the vehicle aims to reduce overall fleet size required by 35%; significantly reduce cost of driver and loader labour; reduce fuel, insurance, maintenance and other variable costs through reduction

Mallaghan supplies many of the major airline catering companies as well as the airlines that self-cater

Mallaghan’s catering trucks are bespoke and manufactured in-house

Mallaghan’s trucks currently run on diesel, gas or compressed natural gas (CNG), but the company is forecasting future demand for electric technology in the catering truck market

in fleet size; offers return on investment in under two years; and boasts a vehicle total cost of ownership saving of up to £1 million (US$1.3 million).

As part of its general manufacturing process, Mallaghan buys the truck chassis, which varies depending on which continent the client is based. For example, North American customers can choose from chassis makers such as Ford, International and Freightliner. Europeans select from suppliers such as MercedesBenz, Scania and MAN. Chinese clients use local chassis manufacturers. The firm offers the complete installation and assembly of the truck body, scissors, refrigeration units and other features.

The complete Mallaghan product range conforms to all IATA regula-

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CATERING tions and European Union directives.

The company is also ISO 9001:2008 certified and places a keen emphasis on complying with all external regulatory bodies associated with the manufacture of ground support equipment (GSE) products. This includes complying with a new regulation called AHM 913 which is being introduced in July 2018.

This global anti-collision standard will require automatic sensor technology to be fitted on all trucks that come into contact with an aircraft. The company had developed anti-collision software before the regulation takes effect, and Mc Kenna reports that some clients are already ordering the new feature.

Only a few locations are equipped with airside kitchens, notes Mc Kenna, citing KLM at Amsterdam Schiphol, and Frankfurt. This means that as approximately 90% of airports have landside kitchens, Mallaghan’s trucks have to comply with public road regulations and engine emissions legislation in the countries in where they operate. To this end, Mallaghan employs a team of people who are responsible for keeping up-todate with the regulations in this area.

Mallaghan’s trucks currently run on diesel, gas or compressed natural gas (CNG), but the company is forecasting future demand for electric technology in the catering truck market, and some clients are already requesting this requirement.

“We’ve developed electric technology in some of our other GSE, so this same technology will be progressed into our catering trucks. But as we buy in the chassis, we rely on these partner suppliers to supply the electric technology. You need a lot of electric power to run a high-loader.”

Mc Kenna says that electric technology will have an economic impact on the market, as it is more expensive than diesel technology and what they are Bernhard Rabian, Vice President Group Procurement, gategroup

56 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

measuring – overall carbon footprint or total cost of ownership.

Regarding the latter issue, the lifespan of catering trucks is around 15 years.

“That’s the industry norm, but we know some trucks which have been going for 25 years,” says Mc Kenna.

Mallaghan’s order book is very strong for 2017 and 2018. “It’s quite a buoyant market and business is good. We’re lucky to have a large facility so we can globally supply airlines’ needs,” enthuses Mc Kenna.

Mallaghan’s biggest challenge, however, is to try to gauge their future equipment needs. “We want to react quicker with orders,” says Mc Kenna. “If you asked me what I’d most like to see, it is closer working partnerships with our main strategic clients for one-, two-, three-, four-year forecast planning.”

gategroup drives towards a greener tarmac Inflight catering giant gategroup manages a fleet of 2,500 catering trucks that operate across the world.

In a bid to achieve greater business efficiency, the company’s strategy is to consolidate its inventory requirements and needs globally.

“We are trying, where possible, to consolidate our requirements by continent, but this is quite challenging, as there are different [engine] emissions standards or other legal obligations and there is not one global provider,” says Bernhard Rabian, Vice President Group Procurement at gategroup. “Our suppliers not only have to deliver the trucks but also to undertake the after-sales services.”

The company buys from leading manufacturers like DOLL, Mallaghan and Smith Transportation Equipment for its catering truck superstructure. The chassis makers vary by continent: Volvo is used in Europe; International for North America; and in Latin America and Asia, the supplier depends on the country, as there is no common provider across the continent.

Over the years, gategroup’s fleet has been kept stable and organic growth has been absorbed by improved fleet efficiencies, but if recent acquisitions – such as that of Servair earlier this year – are taken into account, the fleet has grown considerably.

Efficiency is a big driver for Rabian’s procurement team. “We always aim to get operationally more effective,” he tells PAX International.

The trucks – most of which are

gategroup introduced the first prototype electrically powered highloader for the inflight market in 2013

refrigerated – have a long lifespan of some 15-20 years, so the company has to ensure its trucks are built to last, taking into account the growing list of improvements, particularly in the key areas of health and safety.

“Durability and strong construction are major factors, but health and safety requirements are increasing. As operators, we are handling flights four to eight meters above the ground. We work constantly with the team to make the process better. Health and safety improvements is a never-ending story,” Rabian says.

The company’s fleet currently runs on diesel, but the introduction of electric vehicles has been a priority for the Swissbased group for some years. In fact, gategroup introduced the first prototype electrically powered highloader for the inflight market in 2013. The vehicle boasts intelligent drive assistance and gross weight capacity of 18 tonnes. With its bright green cab, the highloader is in use throughout airports in Southern and Northern Europe.

The technology was developed in collaboration with DOLL Fahrzeugbau to increase vehicle efficiency and enable emission-free aircraft loading.

At the time of the vehicle’s launch at the inter airport Europe fair in Munich in October 2013, Rabian said: “We are so proud to be a part of innovation projects such as this. Through our longstanding collaboration with one of our key partners, we were able to combine our in-depth understanding of how to service aircraft with their extensive technical expertise in building the vehicles to make that possible.”

Rabian says gategroup is keen to work with the truck industry on the further development of electric vehicles, as there is no serial product yet available for the firm to purchase. “There is no reason not to do it [buy electric vehicles] on our side.

The question is the availability and cost.”

Rabian believes the timeline for the serial production of electric vehicles will be around 2020-2025.

Over the coming years, the company will continue to work on standardizing

CATERING health and safety requirements across the globe. In addition, Rabian notes that the catering trucks of the future will incorporate more clever electronics, such as automatic sensor technology.

And looking even further into the future, Rabian believes the driverless catering truck will become a reality, though this will likely be more than 10 years from now.

In the meantime, Rabian has an important message for the catering truck industry. “We are constantly talking with industry players to get better after-sales service, a level of service that is global, on all continents. We need effective support across the globe. We want to see the standardization of after-sales and maintenance of trucks around the globe. In this respect, the industry can do better.”

Safety and innovation are key to LSG Rival catering giant LSG Group has 2,250 standard high loaders, not including joint ventures. The fleet has grown in some regions due to new business wins or a growth in passenger volumes. The catering truck manufacturers are Smith Transportation Equipment, Mallaghan, Doll, and CTV Doll.

The chassis vary by country. The company uses Ford in North America; Iveco in Europe and emerging markets (Africa, Middle East, Turkey, Eastern Europe); Mercedes in Europe, Latin America, and emerging markets; and MAN for Asia Pacific.

The fleet is powered by diesel, gas, propane, CNG (compressed natural gas), and electric. “We will have our first 100% electrical high loader in operation by the end of 2018,” says Brentley Taylor, Head of Infrastructure and Equipment Management at LSG Group.

Generally speaking, a truck’s lifespan can exceed 20 years, but it is dependant on where and how the truck is operated, in terms of frequencies, weather conditions, etc.

Maintenance is standard across the globe and is either performed inside LSG’s facility or carried out by a third party or a combination of the two.

The company tries to bundle the procurement of trucks and focus on key suppliers. Over the years, it has observed various changes in the market, namely an increase in safety requirements features in Europe and North America; the global standardization of fleet specifications; and newer, more efficient engines.

Further changes to the fleet are planned. “We are constantly looking at ways to make the use of trucks more efficient, as the fleet represents one of our major areas of investment. Concepts are in development, but, unfortunately, this is too early to share further details,” says Taylor.

“We are constantly challenging our asset design to incorporate the maximum amount of safety, while incorporating as much innovation as possible,” he concludes.

LSG Group tries to bundle the procurement of trucks and focus on key suppliers

www.pax-intl.com | PAX INTERNATIONAL | 57

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REGIONAL REPORT

Wi-Fi

in British skies Along with a wide selection of improvements to the cabin, British Airways has embarked on a program to outfit its fleet with EAN Wi-Fi over Europe and Gogo for long haul by RICK LUNDSTROM

I

n addition to launching a bold list of improvements to its Club World cabin, from improved meal service, to comfort items to improved check-in and lounge facilities, British Airways’ £400 million (US$532 million) revamp will keep passengers entertained and connected, whether it is from long-haul satellite service or ground-based service within Europe.

In the April announcement (coinciding with last year’s Aircraft Interiors Expo) were a few details on the plans for inflight entertainment and connectivity that will start later on this year, and continue into 2019.

British Airways has plans to add high-speed Internet from Europe’s first 4G network, while on longhaul routes; the airline has picked Gogo’s 2Ku satellite system.

“Ninety percent of our fleet will have Wi-fi by 2019,” said Richard D’Cruze, Inflight Entertainment and Technology Manager at British Airways. The system that is fitted in the aircraft will vary by fleet. While Gogo will be the system of choice for long haul, the airline will install Inmarsat’s air-to-ground EAN system on the European fleet. The European Aviation Network (EAN) high-speed in-flight broadband service is being provided by Inmarsat and partner Deutsche Telekom.

EAN will allow European passengers to use their personal devices for Internet browsing, gaming and other online services, with high-capacity, low-latency performance.

The EAN service announcement

60 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

was part of a package that included Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia and Vueling, which are all part of the International Airlines Group (IAG), the sixth-biggest airline group in the world. British Airways will be the launch customer for Inmarsat’s EAN broadband service. Installation commenced almost immediately on the British Airways fleet.

In last spring’s announcement of the new service plans, British Airways said it would be offering passengers options called Simple Connect or Connect Plus. Simple Connect will support basic web browsing, e-mail and instant messaging at a rate of £4.99 (US$6.50).

The Connect Plus provides a faster connection speed enough to support video streaming capability, which will

be priced out at £7.99 (US$10.33).

British Airways currently has a range of embedded IFE products within its system. On the airline’s refreshed 747s, is has Panasonic’s next generation eX3, which has a 12.1-inch screen in Club World. The retrofit deal with the 747s was announced in the fall of 2014.

“All of our IFE systems offer touchscreen capability,” said D’Cruze. “For Panasonic, the system is capable of touch and swipe gestures giving the system the familiar feel of using a tablet. Customers in our First, Club World and World Traveller cabins will also have access to a handset controller at their seat to control their entertainment.”

On the airline’s fleet of 787 Dreamliners, A380s and select 777s, the airline has

The Club World cabin on British Airways will be outfitted with Gogo Wi-Fi and Inmarsat/Deutsche Telekom

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There is also a selection of Rockwell Collins DTES systems fitted on some of the airline’s long-haul aircraft.

In the new Club World cabin, British Airways will have a selection of IFE in Panasonic systems that have more than 130 movies and 400 television programs.

Also included in the programming are

Ninety percent of British Airways’ fleet is earmarked for connectivity

62 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

a radio channel, audio books, bespoke music mixes and a range of games.

Linstol supplies nearly all of the noise-canceling headsets aboard British Airways aircraft. However, the airline has struck a product placement deal with German producer Sennheiser for a single route in its system from New York Kennedy to London City

airport. In July of last year, the airline began boarding the Sennheiser PXC 550 headset JFK to London City.

Technology is also helping passengers simplify and speed up their journeys through the airport, with the opening of the airline’s first three automated selfboarding gates for UK domestic flights at Heathrow Terminal 5. The automated gates use facial recognition technology to allow passengers to scan their boarding pass, before walking straight onto the aircraft. British Airways staff will still be on hand to help passengers who need a little extra assistance.

Passengers are now able to self-service bag drop at Heathrow and Gatwick, enabling them to label and drop off their bags before proceeding through security.

“We’re investing in the best Wi-Fi in the sky, new lounges and direct access to security and our lounges for our First customers, via our new First Wing at Heathrow,” said Alex Cruz, British Airways’ chairman and CEO. “We’re also aligning our business cabin and service across all our flights by introducing Club Europe on domestic flights.”

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INDUSTRY Q&A

GEO-TAINMENT The moving map display, now a regular feature on inflight entertainment systems, has been transformed to a tool for ancillary revenue with companies like Flightpath paving the way

I

t’s a safe bet that many passengers, when taking a rare overseas trip first laid eyes on a moving map display they were pleasantly surprised and impressed.

Before their eyes was cockpit information like airspeed and wind speed, outdoor temperature and miles flown and miles yet to fly.

One of the companies making the moving map feature more interactive is Flightpath3D, that now offers a program where passengers can use the map to further plan their trip with revenue possibilities for the airline. In this issue’s Industry Q and A Flightpath3D President Duncan Jackson updated PAX International on new features in the company’s 3D product.

PAX International: What do you think is the reason for the enduring popularity of moving maps in and IFE systems?

Duncan Jackson: Passengers are always on the move and as such have a desire to check the status of their progress.

The map is the tool that enables passengers to answer key questions that are most important when they travel: • Where are we and when do we land?

• When will I get to my hotel?

• What’s the cheapest transport home?

• What should we see in the city?

• Where should we eat tonight?

From departure to destination, the fully customizable IFE map enables passengers to have their travel questions answered while following their travel progress using multiple views from the aircraft, including external views of the airline-branded aircraft, cockpit, and windows. Passengers enjoy being able to leave the confines of the aircraft and explore the world around them with relevant location information and imagery. It really enriches their in-flight experience.

PAX: What is your working definition of “geo-tainment?”

Jackson: Geo-tainment is providing an informative, entertaining, and interactive location-based experience that allows 64 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

passengers to explore places, plan travel, and book activities using mobile and context-aware technologies. In other words, the map is created in part to entertain, while also serving another purpose of providing real-time flight and destination data to inform and engage passengers.

PAX: Has there ever been a study or survey of passengers asking passengers what they like about moving maps?

Jackson: We have not published a formal study, but we know usage patterns of our map product and here are some recent statistics: For in-seat IFE over 67% of passengers visit the map at least once. On average passengers visit at least seven points per flight. And the Pilot View is the most used view.

PAX: What is some of the product development that is taking place at Flightpath?

Jackson: Passengers are all heading somewhere, whether it’s somewhere new or arriving home. On an outbound trip, it’s what should we do, eat, and see, and how do we get there cheaply and fast. On return trips everyone is thinking, how’s the traffic on the way home? At Flightpath3D we are focusing on providing location-based information through mobile and context-aware technologies.

Through technology we are focused on dramatically enhancing the in-flight experiences by providing the ability to: • Calculate aircraft to hotel or home journey times • Display flight + airport transit + ground transport times • Reserve last-minute accommodations • Virtually explore a destinations in a 360-degree experience • Book tours and attractions • Make restaurant bookings Our technology is always evolving, and we constantly seek to provide new offerings for airlines and passengers alike.

PAX: Flightpath3D and its interactive Point of Interest are designed to turn the idle watcher into a purchaser. What are

Duncan Jackson

some of the strategies that you suggest to your customers to make that happen?

Jackson: If airlines focus on providing valuable information to passengers for things to do in their destination that are timely and relevant, then the next phase is clearly to add an ecommerce purchasing capability. Each airline is different with its own vision and strategies, but we advise to start simple and evolve over time.

For example: First – tilt your advertising to online in-aircraft and focus on location-based advertising.

Second – add destination content – airlines are a flying travel service provider and store – so tell your passengers about where they are going and give them your insights.

Third – start to add services – attend to my off-aircraft needs, such as where and how much a shuttle service is to downtown or a tour of the city.

Finally – evolve to monetize your passenger data – passenger insights are very valuable to third parties in location after arrival.

PAX: Of your list of 20 customers, how many have selected functions for purchasing products? What are some of the products available?

Jackson: We have some partner planning to roll out travel planning tools, including the ability to pre-order a shared ride or shuttle ride to take them home, with correct fare and journey times. They can also explore and plan last-minute activities including accommodations, restaurants, car rentals, tours or event tickets—all in-flight.

Our objective was to create a perfectly integrated, entertaining, informative, and interactive tool that caters to all passengers’ last-minute travel plans.

LE T ’S GO BEYOND SIMPLY CONNECTING AIRCRAFT. Together, we can revolutionize critical crew and maintenance operations to fly smarter and unveil new entertainment options so your passengers travel happier. In fact, we’re already doing it for airlines worldwide. Learn more at gogoair.com

©2017 Gogo LLC. All trademarks are the property of the respective owners.

IFE to go. The newest onboard IFE from Bluebox Aviation Systems

IFE RUNDOWN

IFEC FOR THE SHORT HAUL Demand for IFEC has never been greater, and companies setting up shop at this year’s APEX event have spun off new products and added service to reach an expanding list of airline customers wanting a passenger experience on even the shortest of segments and with the tightest of budgets by RICK LUNDSTROM

A

irlines and suppliers of inflight entertainment and connectivity watched through the summer as what could have been a serious threat to the growth of their industries melt away about mid-July.

A short-lived ban on laptop computers on flights from several Middle Eastern airports at one time held out the possibility of an even more farreaching effect, possibly bringing European facilities into the list. The industry reacted and airports soon began new security regimes. By July 17, only one airport in the Middle East, Riyadh, remained. Soon after, it was business as usual for travelers around the world.

It was a welcome change, given that the prevalence of electronic devices by passengers is becoming important IFEC platform for airlines and their suppliers. Results from APEX’s Global Passenger Survey, released last year, show that 43% of worldwide airline passengers bring a tablet device one 66 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

the aircraft with 70% of the passengers using their tablet device in-flight.

Thirty-eight percent of worldwide airline passengers bring a laptop computer on-board with 42% of these passengers using the device in-flight, said the survey. Also, 22% of worldwide airline passengers bring e-Readers on board with 77% using their e-reader inflight.

Long-haul and transcontinental flights may get the funding and the attention of the traveling public and the media. But in reality, they carry a small percentage of the world’s travelers. For example, in the world’s largest air travel market, the United States, the average flight stage lengths is below 1,000 miles.

Last year, the average stage length on U.S. carriers and foreign carriers increased approximately 2% to 964 miles, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Average passenger trip lengths, with more than one segment also increased

slightly to 1,474.6 miles, up 2%.

It is this group of travelers, mostly in Economy Class on short-haul and medium-haul flights that airlines are seeking to supply with an IFEC solution geared toward use of their personal electronic devices PEDs. Suppliers at this year’s APEX Expo will be bringing a wide range of those solutions to Long Beach, but the ones that will be getting increased attention are the ones that supply a measure of IFE and connectivity to the short- to mediumhaul market. And, like the passenger’s carry-on devices, these solutions are easy to use, easy to maintain and, just as important, easy on an airline’s budget.

Bluebox Portable aims to Wow North of Edinburgh, Scotland, Bluebox Aviation Systems concluded the month of August with the announcement TCS World Travel has upgraded to the company’s Bluebox Hybrid

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IFE RUNDOWN system, which allows passengers to access the much-watched early window content which is pre-loaded and delivered to the Bluebox iPads onboard a TCS 757 operated by TAG Aviation.

TCS has a fleet of 757s that take 80 passengers on customized travel to exotic destinations. Shelley Cline, President of TCS World Travel said the system will not only be used for early window content, but also “allows us to offer innovative ways to educate them about their next destination.”

Bluebox sees the possibility of reaching a much wider market of airline customers with its Walk-on wIFE (Wow for short), a lightweight, portable device with a long battery life, up to a terabyte of programming, and, very importantly, a low cost of ownership.

Airlines can improve the passenger experience with a low-cost Wow system that provides them with video content and reading material in a wireless solution that can be filled with content for short or long segments.

Bluebox CEO Kevin Clark said Wow has created a massive amount of interest and has increased the market and makes classical IFE possible for airframes that were not economic in the past for embedded systems that may have a lifespan of five to eight years.

“It does then become appealing to airlines who would never really have thought of themselves as being in position to offer inflight entertainment capabilities,” Clark said.

The size of a standard lunch box, fitting neatly into overhead bins, the Wow system has a battery life of 15 hours and can accommodate approximately 50 users during a standard flight. Content can be loaded wirelessly or swapped out with a change of memory cards. No Supplemental Type Certificate is required for its use.

A flight with Gogo’s 2Ku

I

t is not difficult to spot an aircraft on the tarmac at Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport equipped with the 2Ku radome antenna that supplies Gogo’s high-speed Internet, and it is especially easy in a hub that is dominated by the company’s biggest customer, Delta Air Lines.

In the case of an early August visit to MSP, I caught a glimpse of a few of the connected aircraft from the back seat of a black 2017 Porsche driven by a man named Andy, who works for Delta and whose job it is to give short tours of the airport to Delta One passengers before they board their flight.

It was a beautiful summer afternoon in August when PAX International was invited to test out the system on a flight to Washington Reagan International Airport. The Delta A320 flight is a little more than two hours, which gave me plenty of time to join the Gogo connection, stream entertainment and put the high-speed system through its paces. I was able to successfully conduct a short

Connectivity Light with BoardConnect Lufthansa Systems, through its partnership with Inmarsat has been providing passengers in the fleet of Lufthansa German Airlines and partner airlines with speedy Internet for more than a year through its association with Inmarsat’s GX Global Wi-Fi. The partners threw the switch on the GX Aviation system around the time of last year’s APEX Convention in Singapore and never looked back.

68 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

Working the PAX International Twitter feed on Delta flight 1764 to DCA

A Delta Air Lines aircraft with Gogo’s 2Ku antenna waits on the tarmac

Facetime call with my wife in Minneapolis on my relatively dated iPhone.

I worked with the phone on trip to DCA. On the quick turnaround I sent e-mails and browsed the Internet.

The flight occurred at an important point in Gogo’s work with Delta. Just the day before, a Delta A350, aircraft number N501DN rolled out of Toulouse

with the signature radome on the rear of the aircraft. It marked another another milestone; the first Gogo 2Ku installation on an A350.

Also in August, Gogo’s next-generation modem was introduced into commercial airline service. With the new modem, the company promises significantly increase throughput from the satellite to end users on the aircraft. The modem is capable of delivering more than 16 times the throughput of Gogo’s existing modem. It has dual channels to simultaneously support Internet traffic and broadcast IPTV. It also features faster and more sophisticated processing that enables much shorter hand-offs from one satellite to the next. The new modem is being retrofitted on more than 450 aircraft in what the company calls a “plug and play” installation process. More than 1,600 aircraft were scheduled to get the new device. - Rick Lundstrom

Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve reached our cruising altitude, so we invite you to turn on your portable electronic devices, use our cabin Wi-Fi service and otherwise make yourself comfortable.

I’m the Circuit Breaker, here to interrupt your steady stream of power, give your airline’s maintenance department fits and make your passengers very, very unhappy!

At last! The music will put him to sleep, and we’ll both feel better after a nap!

You monster…

Waking a sleeping child!??

Perfect! Gotta recharge my computer to check in on the new financial updates.

You can’t do this to me! I need those figures!

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This is a job for EmPower® Man!

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Join Astronics at the 2017 APEX Show, booth #441, Sep. 25-28, and see how our high-reliability EmPower® in-seat power systems reduce maintenance and cost of ownership while keeping your passengers happy, flight after flight!

www.astronics.com 425.881.1700

IFE RUNDOWN But the company has not forgotten what it sees as another important segment of the market that also wants the ability to offer connectivity to their passengers. That capability is now part of an expansion with its BoardConnect Portable device a product that Lufthansa Systems is calling “Connectivity Light.”

Airlines that lacked a business case can now provide passengers the basics of online connectivity with a solution that gives them the ability to text and e-mail from their personal electronic devices. Like others, the system does not require an STC and a smart solution for airlines that have to return leased aircraft that are unmodified.

As part of the BoardConnect Product Suite, BoardConnect Portable — with or without Connectivity Light — can be updated anytime to the fixed installed wireless IFE or IFC solution.

The new capabilities of BoardConnect Portable will be one of important changes that Lufthansa Systems will be highlighting at this year’s APEX, said Jan-Peter Gaense, Director of Project and Certification at Lufthansa Systems.

The connectivity possibilities are made simple and affordable with BoardConnect Portable

䤀䴀뜀倀刀䔀뜀匀匀䤀伀一 䄀一 䤀䐀䔀䄀Ⰰ 䘀䔀䔀䰀䤀一䜀Ⰰ 伀刀 伀倀䤀一䤀伀一 䄀䈀伀唀吀 匀伀䴀䔀吀䠀䤀一䜀 伀刀 匀伀䴀䔀伀一䔀Ⰰ 䘀伀刀䴀䔀䐀 圀䤀吀䠀伀唀吀 䌀伀一匀䌀䤀伀唀匀 吀䠀伀唀䜀䠀吀⸀

㜀㈀ 䨀漀栀渀渀礀挀愀欀攀 䠀椀氀氀 刀漀愀搀 ⸀ 䴀椀搀搀氀攀琀漀眀渀Ⰰ 刀䤀 ㈀㠀㐀㈀ 唀匀䄀 ⸀ ㄀ 㠀㠀㠀ⴀ㔀㜀㔀ⴀ䄀嘀䤀䐀 ⸀ 眀眀眀⸀䄀嘀䤀䐀瀀爀漀搀甀挀琀猀⸀挀漀洀 ⸀ 猀愀氀攀猀䀀䄀嘀䤀䐀瀀爀漀搀甀挀琀猀⸀挀漀洀

70 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

ZODIAC INFLIGHT INNOVATIONS ZODIAC AEROSYSTEMS Connected Cabin Division

CONTENT

Virgin Atlantic takes inspiration from iconic cinema titles such as Brief Encounter and 2001, A Space Odyssey

playing Inflight safety videos don’t just enhance security and passenger protection – they’re a valuable way to entertain, too. Mary Jane Pittilla rounds up the best video content

T

he rigid structure that at one time formed the framework the safety videos of airlines around the world has fallen away; and the desire to convey a message that catches the viewers attention has changed the way the genre is seen and created.

As airlines gather in Long Beach for this year’s Airline Passenger Experience Association event, new videos were showing and planned for debut. PAX International searched for some of the newest creative concepts. What we found were a selection that featured special effects, the landscapes of beautiful countries and a bevy of celebrities. They may not be in a nearby theatre, but are only a few clicks away on YouTube. No lines to wait in, and no charge.

Love of cinema inspires Virgin Atlantic video Virgin Atlantic plays homage to the cinema in its latest safety video, taking inspiration from iconic titles such as Brief Encounter and 2001, A Space Odyssey.

Created by design agency Art & Graft, animated characters take the viewer on a theatrical journey through different movie genres, including film noir and western, to capture the attention of passengers and inform them of the aircraft’s emergency procedures.

Leon Trigg, Production Manager at Virgin Atlantic, said: “As the pioneers of inflight entertainment, we wanted to create a video that reflected the airline’s love of cinema, whilst continuing to advance our reputation for quality and innovation. This video will be watched thousands of times a week, so it was vital it had the cheeky Virgin Atlantic edge we’re known and loved for.

“Art & Graft have embraced our focus on films, which runs throughout our marketing and advertising campaigns, to create a video which should amuse and engage customers, whilst demonstrating the airline’s key safety messages.”

British comedienne Morgana Robinson complements the video with quirky voiceovers, setting the tone with different accents and impressions for each movie genre.

Celebrities show off safety in new British Airways video A team of top celebrities including Gordon Ramsay, Sir Ian McKellen and Thandie Newton appear in British Airways’ entertaining new pre-flight safety video that launched this month.

72 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

safe

Created by design agency Art & Graft, animated characters take the viewer on a theatrical journey through different movie genres

The new film features some of the UK’s best-loved personalities and has been designed to help customers absorb important safety messages, while boosting fund-raising for Flying Start, the global charity partnership between British Airways and Comic Relief.

Alex Cruz, British Airways’ Chairman and CEO, said: “It’s extremely important to us that customers engage with our safety video, and involving some of the nation’s most well-known personalities has given us the chance to create something fun that we hope people will watch from start to finish - and remember.

“We’ve worked with Comic Relief since 2010 and our customers have already helped us generate £16.5 million (US$21.4 million) for great causes. We hope the new video will enable us to exceed our goal of raising £20 million (US$26 million) by 2020.”

Ten celebrities are seen auditioning in humorous sketches in front of comedian Asim Chaudhry, as his People Just Do Nothing character Chabuddy G, for a part in the safety video, while simultaneously demonstrating the safety features and procedures on the aircraft.

At the end of the video, comedian Rowan Atkinson comically fumbles around his Famous British actors Sir Ian McKellen and Warwick Davis are among the stars of the funny video seat for loose change to place Comedian Rowan Atkinson in a Flying Start envelope, comically fumbles around his seat which are available to custom- for loose change to place in a Flying Start charity envelope ers on flights to enable them to donate to Comic Relief.

Celebrities featuring in the video include Gordon Ramsay, Rob Brydon, Sir Ian McKellen, Warwick Davis, Rowan Atkinson, Thandie Newton, and Gillian Anderson.

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CONTENT

Turkish Airlines’ innovative inflight safety video features filmmaker and social media phenomenon Zach King With the significant growth in the number of first time or irregular travellers over recent years, Turkish Airlines chose to leverage illusions to improve the safety level onboard.

The main purpose of the video, launched last year, is to keep passengers’ attention high using the power of magic.

“With safety being the number one priority at all levels of our airline, creating concise and engaging safety communications has become extremely important,” said M. İlker Aycı, Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee of Turkish Airlines. “Here at Turkish Airlines we constantly strive to find the most effective and innovative ways to deliver excellent service and over-achiever passenger expectations, ensuring the highest level of security during all of our operations.”

Watching the film, passengers are flipped between reality and illusion, with Zach King bringing key aspects of inflight safety to life through his signature digital sleight of hand tricks.

At presstime, the video had been viewed 5.7 million times on the YouTube channel.

Social media phenomenon Zach King uses magic to keep Turkish Airlines passengers’ attention

Zach King brings key aspects of inflight safety to life through his signature digital sleight of hand tricks

Air New Zealand teams up with American actors for fantastical journey Air New Zealand’s new safety video is an Alice in Wonderland-inspired adventure starring famous American actors and featuring iconic locations throughout New Zealand.

A Fantastical Journey features Dunedin and the Moeraki Boulders, the Conway River in Canterbury, Wellington, Taranaki, Waitomo Caves, Rotorua, Cathedral Cove in the Coromandel, Tolaga Bay north of Gisborne, White Island and the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

New Zealand singer and songwriter Gin Wigmore also recorded her own version of the song ‘My Little Corner of the World’ as the backing track.

74 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

Katie Holmes worked alongside Cuba Gooding Jr. and the Air New Zealand crew to produce A Fantastical Journey

Air New Zealand’s safety video features iconic locations throughout New Zealand

Katie Holmes worked alongside Cuba Gooding Jr. and the Air New Zealand crew to produce A Fantastical Journey.

“I was really excited to be a part of this project – the safety video is creative, magical and funny. The scenery is also beautiful and makes me want to get down to New Zealand.”

Cuba Gooding Jr. said he wanted to get involved in Air New Zealand’s latest safety video as he does a lot of traveling and loved the fun and different approach. “They make you laugh, smile and pay a little bit more attention. I’ve also enjoyed working with Katie Holmes and Kiwi artist Gin Wigmore – her voice is enchanting and soothing, exactly what you need for a safety video.”

Air New Zealand General Manager of Global Brand and Content Marketing Jodi Williams said A Fantastical Journey would put all eyes on New Zealand by showcasing some of the best the country has to offer. “With the help of Hollywood stars Katie Holmes and Cuba Gooding Jr., our latest safety video takes viewers on a journey taking in New Zealand’s stunning beauty, incredible culture, friendly people and amazing flora and fauna, while also sharing the airline’s key safety messages.

“We’ve taken a different approach creatively with our latest safety video, working closely with our creative agency True, and Auckland-based production company Assembly throughout the process on the special effects to help take people on a magical tour of the country.”

Air New Zealand’s safety videos have collectively generated more than 108 million views online to date along with significant international media exposure.

A Fantastical Journey was rolled out across the airline’s fleet from July 12. The day after its release, the video was already a global success with 12.3 million views.

The video proved most popular in China with 3.9 million views, followed by Australia (1.9 million), New Zealand (1.7 million), the United States (1 million), Argentina and the UK.

Icelandic nature is star of Icelandair video Icelandair’s inflight safety video takes a novel approach. The airline decided to produce a film that not only underlines the importance of safety, but that also engages passengers with a sense of curiosity and Icelandic beauty. “Being safe has rarely looked so beautiful,” says the company, which launched the video in June 2014.

Inspired by Iceland itself, the video includes the coun-

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CONTENT try’s nature as the stunning backdrop to the traditional and important safety message presented to all passengers.

For example, emergency lighting takes on a new, nonthreatening identity when compared to the Northern Lights, and assuming the brace position becomes a calm and collected manoeuver when waking up by the shores of a lake.

The safety video was written and produced by Islenska Ad Agency and directed by Pegasus. Showcasing Iceland’s hot spots of nature and beauty, filming took place on location around Iceland, including Jokulsarlon, Thkgil canyon, Fjadrargljufur gorge, Thorsmork National Park and Eyjafjoll, close to Eyjafjallajokull.

Icelandair’s nature-themed video showcases Iceland’s hot spots of nature and beauty, including Jokulsarlon

Singapore Airlines links with tourism board to showcase city state attractions Singapore Airlines (SIA) has unveiled its new inflight safety video, which takes viewers on a panoramic journey across various locations in Singapore.

Viewers follow the Singapore Girl as she travels to familiar landmarks such as Boat Quay, River Safari, Haji Lane, Adventure Cove Waterpark, Henderson Waves, Capitol Theatre and Gardens by the Bay. At each location, she meets diverse characters engaged in different activities that creatively demonstrate the safety instructions.

The new safety video is a result of a bilateral agreement signed between SIA and Singapore Tourism Board (STB) in June 2017, aimed at jointly promoting inbound travel to Singapore, and showcasing the city-state to a global audience.

Under the partnership, SIA and STB will jointly invest S$10 million (US$7.3 million) combined, over three years, to collaborate on marketing activities, event promotion campaigns and technology initiatives which aim to facilitate ease of travel.

“Our new safety video provides a more captivating way of effectively presenting safety information to our customers as compared to the more conventional approach that we have taken up to now. At the same time, it proudly showcases many familiar spots in our home base of Singapore to a global audience,” said Singapore Airlines Senior Vice President Sales and Marketing Campbell Wilson.

The video will be screened on SIA flights from the end of 2017.

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EFFICIENT IN THE SKY WHERE OTHERS JUST FLY

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ViaSat provided satellite HD resolution for the National Aeronautic and Space Administration for the solar eclipse in August of this year.

Photo courtesy of NASA

COMPANY PROFILE: VIASAT

Sky-high summer

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busy summer at ViaSat, Inc. started with a big bang in early June with the successful launch of its ViaSat-2 satellite aboard an Arianespace Ariane 5 ECA launch vehicle.

From there, the company again looked to the heavens, partnering with the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) by supplying important support on the August 21 solar eclipse. Finally, the company cut through the red tape to gain a Supplemental Type Certificate for a workhorse aircraft in the world fleet.

The Ariane 5 ECA carrying ViaSat-2, which operates Ka-band frequencies lifted off June 1 in Kourou, French Guiana. ViaSat-2 is expected to significantly improve speeds, reduce costs and expand the footprint of broadband services across North America, Central America, the Caribbean, and a

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www.onboardlogistics.com 78 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

A new satellite and the chance to be in on an historic celestial event were only two of the important recent developments at Carlsbad, California-based ViaSat by RICK LUNDSTROM

portion of northern South America. It also serves primary aeronautical and maritime routes across the Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe.

“This critical milestone will allow our airline customers and prospects to meet growing broadband needs at the best satellite economics,” said Don Buchman, Vice President and General Manager, Commercial Mobility, ViaSat. In late July, a second milestone was reached with a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration for its second generation (Gen-2) inflight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) system. The certification allows ViaSat to offer Internet service on 737 aircraft. The first installation of the Gen-2 equipment was certified on a Qantas 737-800 aircraft.

“The Gen-2 equipment drives more capacity from ViaSat’s satellites, with an advanced modem set to support throughput levels of up to 1 Gigabit per second, and an upgraded antenna that will double the useable satellite capacity from ViaSat’s satellites,” said a release from ViaSat. “Greater capacity will enable streaming at-scale — even at highly congested areas, including airport hubs.”

The Gen-2 operates with a durable and aerodynamic ARINC 791 adapter plate, which streamlines installation with its standardized design. The Gen-2 system comes packed with 30 terabytes of solid-state storage, which the company says is exceeding the capabilities of other inflight servers deployed today. With added storage, airlines can host more crew and passenger-focused applications within its open platform server.

For the August 21 eclipse, ViaSat supplied NASA and its partners, with high-quality airborne satellite broadband communications (satcom) for research purposes.

Using its satellite broadband network coupled with its airborne satcom terminals mounted onto two of NASA’sWB-57 high altitude research aircraft, ViaSat helped the Agency get successful high-definition video live stream of unique high-resolution images of the sun’s corona, its outer atmosphere, during totality of Monday’s total solar eclipse, and provided two-way communication between the planes and controllers on the ground. The ViaSat data link was also instrumental in acquiring rare infrared observations of the planet Mercury that will be used to attempt the first-ever “thermal images” of its night-side surface, which was visible to these high altitude aircraft during the eclipse window.

“We have maintained a partnership with NASA — supplying advanced satellite-based broadband communications — for many years,” said Ken Peterman, President, Government Systems, ViaSat. “We are proud to have supported NASA and its partners during their solar eclipse research endeavors, delivering a high-speed, highperformance satellite system backbone to satisfy their immediate research needs.”

ESSENZA Essentially: class!

Geven's latest response to the newest quirks of high density comfort seating.

Light and tight - Essenza's little body is all you need to carry passengers in comfort in spite of the smaller pitches.

Essential in design, but substantial in reliability.

Conceived for the short haul - its life cycle is one you can count on for the long haul.

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Geven recently acquired a new industrial building and another facility, increasing the combined surface of the company’s three plants to 58,000 square meters

COMPANY PROFILE: GEVEN

REACHING NEW HEIGHTS

Geven has made major investments in its manufacturing facilities as the Italian seating supplier continues to innovate for further growth by MARY JANE PITTILLA

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ircraft seat manufacturer Geven is planning for a long-term future on Italian soil, having recently acquired a new industrial building and another plant, very close to its current facility. These acquisitions have increased the combined surface of the company’s three plants to 58,000 square meters.

This impressive growth in size has also come with key investments in new machinery, including two flexible manufacturing systems, which have driven the firm’s development.

Geven has been busy working on new products for Economy Class seating. “Built into the design of our new product range are years of lessons learned from the seats’ predecessors, which have been flying for many years,” says Rodolfo Baldascino, Marketing and Sales Manager at Geven Spa. “In developing the new range, a great deal was invested in R&D and innovation. Furthermore, Geven has studied existing products and trends and conducted extensive benchmarking to ensure seats are equipped with the latest in technology and seat design. To further improve reliability and quality, Geven

Composite backrest on the Essenza reduces weight and makes the seat optimal for short haul

80 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

has also used rigorous process-driven methods including FMECA (Failure Mode Effect Criticality Analysis) and a systematic approach to design known as PDCA (Plan Do Check Act),” he adds.

An Italian sense of aesthetics Essenza is a new ultra-lightweight Economy seat with a composite backrest targeted at the short-mid haul market.

It was designed to find the optimum balance between comfort, weight and service life. The primary structure was developed to maximize shin clearance, even at the shortest pitches, and to optimize weight performance. The composite backrest significantly increases knee clearance and the hybrid seat pan cushions seek to provide optimum comfort without compromising durability.

Elemento is a new lightweight full-option Economy Class seat targeted at the mid-long haul market for both single aisle and twin aisle aircraft.

This seat design aims to reconcile the critical qualities of comfort, reliability, maintainability, flexibility, living space, weight, installation time and cost. “As with all our new seats, an Italian sense of aesthetics and a contemporary look and feel are also part of this seat’s DNA,” says Baldascino. A full range of options is available on this class-leading seat.

Piuma Sofà is described as a groundbreaking Economy Class seat that allows passengers to experience the luxury of lie-flat beds in the back cabin while providing strong differentiation and additional ancillary revenues for airlines. “Income from bed sales would be pure additional ancillary revenue

Key investments have been made in new machinery, including two Flexible Manufacturing Systems

if beds are sold at the last minute on empty seats,” explains Baldascino. “It has been estimated that based on an average Y class annual load factor of 85%, this new revenue stream from empty seating could generate in the region of €250,000 (US$265,000) per typical wide-body aircraft per year.”

Geven, whose most important markets are Asia and Europe, has noted many changes in the design of Economy Class seating over recent years. Design development principles have required an ever-slimmer and thinner profile and a related pressure on reaching ever lighter weight. They include slimmer backrests for increased knee room; changes to the location of primary structure rear beam for increased shin clearance; a reduction in overall seat weight to reduce aircraft fuel consumption; and the introduction of hybrid seat pan cushions combining both structural and cushioning elements for improved maintenance and weight.

In addition, the company has is riding the shift towards bring your own device (BYOD) and PED holders and away from seat back-integrated IFE in order to save weight and seat recurring costs.

Pitch Aircraft Seating’s Centre Table can be deployed during any stage of the flight

SEATING ACCESSORIES

MAKING SEATS FRIENDLY Mood lighting, accommodations for personal devices, and dozens of other small features are reshaping the look and feel of airline seating and helping make products personal and useful on flights long and short by RICK LUNDSTROM

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nyone, in or out of the passenger services industries who has had to fumble their way through an airline cabin juggling, coffee, carry-on baggage and a feeling of low-level anxiety that are all common with air travel might give a sigh of relief at the sight of a cup holder.

Multiply that over an entire economy class section and the simple device might actually make a difference in the overall mood of the cabin. Making the flight attendant’s job simpler.

Add one or two more small features, such as soothing lighting, a place to charge a personal electronic device or features that add a few inches of comfort, and more passengers might not notice some of the more irritating aspects of air travel such as a narrow seat pitch, and of course, their fellow travelers.

For a limited amount of space in the area around passenger seating, few could contend that every square inch is being evaluated for potential. Seat makers and their suppliers are in the midst of developing products to fill the nooks and crannies of an airline seat with the little things that add comfort.

“More and more airlines are requiring customized individual lights and customized passenger control units,” said Simon Lesage, Product Line Marketing Manager at Astronics PGA in France. “As these items will differentiate them from other airlines.”

Astronics had a wide selection of elegant-looking accessory products at the company’s stand at this year’s Aircraft Interiors Expo. Cabin management systems, inflight entertainment and connectivity components and motion and lighting systems were displayed under soft lighting, sporting modern looks and gentle curved lines.

One of the products set for launch next year will be the Mila light, a next-generation reading light. For a small product, Mila has number of functions and is easy to use.

The passenger touches the center of the light to illuminate it and can set the position to an appropriate reading angle. The Mila also has mood lighting capability. The product is part of the company’s Carat® lighting family.

“We truly believe in the product to make the mar82 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

ket evolve thanks to its trendsetting features,” said Lesage “We had a lot of good impressions and feedback by many interested business partners during AIX and some of them have already shown interest to take a step forward with this next generation of reading light.”

Alongside the Mila was the Philea, a light designed for the premium economy seat. The Philea mounts directly into a seating headrest and, in addition to lighting, provides the passenger with a USB charging port that operates independently from the passenger seat behind it.

“It is dedicated to premium economy seating, and we understand this market segment requires double function products,” said Lesage. “The main installation is on the side of a seat, optimally integrated into a seat shell.”

The Mila light from Astronics can be used for reading or as a mood light

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CALIFORNIA, USA

SEATING ACCESSORIES Astronics had a number of other products as part of the offering in Hamburg: A new family of slim linear actuators that were designed for small spaces in the guts of the seat. Along with the new actuators were maintenance and monitoring accessories with new interfaces for tablets and standard laptops.

For the VVIP market, Astronics has developed a Smart Wireless Handset passenger control unit that has a number of features packed behind a 5.5-inch HD screen.

The Smart Wireless Handset integrates with Ka-band, Ku-band and Swift Broadband aircraft connectivity.

Tray table entertainment for tight spaces One of the pioneers of seating accessories, Scottsdale Arizonabased SmartTray, early on spotted the wave of passengers traveling with personal devices advancing quickly and, in 2012 took the first steps to transform the tray table into a home for smart phones and tablets. Now on two well-known airlines, the company added a cruise line in Princess Cruises and railroad operators in Alaska to its list of customers.

It has also been doing some research on the affects of its products and has found that its tray table mounted PED holders are best suited for cabins with a seat pitch of less than 30 inches.

When a passenger views objects at a close range, the company says the ciliary eye muscles contract. The ciliary controls the shape of the eye lens and focus. When the muscles are contracted for a long period, such as watching a movie at close range, visual

Astronics makes the Philea light/charger for the Premium Economy market

discomfort, blurred vision and headaches can result.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Adminstration (OSHA) recommends and eye-to-computer screen distance of 20 inches at 30 degrees below the horizon line of sight.

“SmartTray® tray table mounted PED holders exceeds OSHA minimum recommended eye to screen distance even in high density seating configurations where eye fatigue is further amplified when the seat in front is fully reclined,” said Nick Pajic, President and CEO of SmartTray International LLC. “Correct eye-to-screen distance and viewing angle is therefore key in today’s highly competitive environment.”

Rockwell Collins plans for passenger needs In addition to completing the integration of the company’s purchase of B/E Aerospace, research continues at Rockwell Collins, on what passengers, and by extension the airlines that serve them want in the seating environment. The company scored a big customer project after years of work with the widely talkedabout QSuite from Qatar Airways.

In Economy Class, Vaughan said the first thoughts for seating accessories requests often center on the passenger’s desire to make use of personal electronic devices. The company has also developed creative ways for airlines to supply the necessary printed literature, while at the same time freeing up knee and legroom.

“The ability for people to not only charge their own portable devices but use them in a way that is more natural and comfortable is becoming more and more important to the Rockwell Collins’ tablet holder on its Meridian line of economy class seating

84 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

passengers and, therefore, to the airline,” Mark Vaughan, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Rockwell Collins Aircraft Seating tells PAX International. Rockwell Collins is answering that desire with the development of a tablet holder that instead of bolting onto the seat and taking up living space, fully integrates into the seat and “really is of use to the widest possible range of personal devices as possible.”

Like other seat suppliers, Rockwell Collins is giving the literature pocket another look. Upper literature pockets can give airlines a clean place to store magazines and safety cards while doing away with the expandable pocket which is often misused by passengers to store items like laptops and makes it it easy for them to forget personal items.

In the front cabin, Vaughan said creative ways to add stowage that resembles more of a locker than a bin has become an important feature sought by airlines. Privacy, intimate lighting and features that remind passengers of the comforts of home are often requested by customers. The presences of doors in First Class seating also achieves the home-like feel of the cabin.

After two years of work with the airline, the QSuite at Qatar Airways was just the project. Certification of the cabin was one of the company’s biggest challenges. But the airline convinced regulators in the U.S. and Europe that egress could be achieved in an adequate amount of time, even with the presence of doors.

“Doors are reasonably prevalent in First Class these days,” Vaughan said. “But with the small number of seats, the regulatory authorities do not have the same concerns they would with a full Business Class product.”

SEATING ACCESSORIES

Chargers and extra space Back to the aforementioned passenger, juggling luggage and coffee bought on their way to the gate. To compound anxiety, she looks to see that the batteries on her laptop are about to die, putting plans of finishing the PowerPoint presentation during the flight in jeopardy.

Pitch Aircraft Seating products can supply the answers to some of the problems, though the charging station may come as a pleasant surprise after she has placed her coffee in a cup holder and opened the tray table for the first time. What does she find but a tiny halo light illuminating a USB power port.

“Surprise and delight” is something that rarely happens, but it still can in an aircraft cabin, said Gary Doy, Director at Pitch Aircraft Seating Systems. Not only are the passenger’s tech problems solved, but she also encounters a tidy presentation with airline literature behind the seatback and coffee stored neatly in a cup holder.

In the past, Doy says he has encountered increased interest in cup holders among potential airline customers in the Middle East and Asia. However an airline’s ambivalence has often been due to the overall quality of the product. Cup holders have often been made from injection molding and have been costly to make because of the tooling required. Pitch has developed a metal product that is mounted to the side of the seat and can be used with the tray table is down, as well as up.

The position of the USB port serves an additional purpose, said Doy. “Passengers can only charge phones when the tray table is down. The rationale behind it is airlines don’t want people to charge phones on takeoff and landing,” said Doy. Charging

doesn’t require a long piece of wire and the phone or tablet can sit easily on the tray table for charging.

Pitch has developed another feature: A center table that attaches to the window and aisle seats that services as a table for extra storage space. The center table essentially converts three seat rows into two with a minimum of requirements.

“It works for taxi, takeoff and landing and it stuffs into the overhead,” said Doy.

Often overlooked by airlines, Pitch aircraft is seeing more interest in cup holders among Asian and Middle East airlines

Recaro builds well-being into iSeat In April, Recaro created a stir and won an award at this year’s Aircraft Interiors Expo with its introduction of the Flex Seat, a easy to operate sliding seat concept in the Economy Class that held with it the possibility of wider seat pitches for short an medium haul flights.

With the ability to fold rows of seating and extend seat pitch in an accordion style mechanism, airlines could add inches of comfort in a short amount of time. With an additional specially developed structure, a row of Recaro’s SL3510 lightweight seat can be folded up simultaneously. Three hand movements are enough to lift up the seat row, release the floor locking mechanism and push the front seats apart along a rail system. This simple mechanism hardly requires The Recaro CL6710 seat with ample any additional components and it can be operated entirely technology and stowage area without tools and with very little effort. Recaro developed the Flex Seat concept with the help of Airbus.

What the company has also developed is a concept called the iSeat, found prominently in the Business Class CL6710. Tapping into digital life is a series of scanners and sensors that can transfer information about the seat’s workings to cabin crew and on to ground stations.

The seat’s functions can also be placed in the hands of the passenger, via an app that can be downloaded into a personal electronic device. Passengers then can operate seating functions from their smart phone or tablet.

In Economy Class, smart features, such as a special lighting function has been developed for its CL3710 selected by several airlines. When the seat in occupied in the position TTL the lighting is bright. In recline, mood lighting is activated. When a passenger stands up, lighting under the seat automatically illuminates.

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Sometimes, you just need a little more.

Introducing Vector Premium, the latest innovation in premium seating for single-aisle aircraft. With generous living space and amenities, Vector Premium brings the style and reliability of Vector to a whole new class.

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An important feature for embedded IFE in the future is second screen capability from a downloaded app, says Panasonic’s Jon Norris (Photo courtesy Panasonic)

SCREEN TECHNOLOGY

NEED DESIRE VERSUS

Embedded IFE is still important to the passenger service strategy, but what screen resolution and features are needed to provide passengers with optimum performance and value? by RICK LUNDSTROM

I

n the world of inflight entertainment and connectivity, it is said over and over again that it is necessary for airlines and their suppliers to take the experience the traveling public has in their homes and bring it to the aircraft environment.

No doubt there is an important element of truth to the strategy. However, balancing that strategy against technological challenges within the airline cabin will be an ongoing effort, even as the ability to create better resolution becomes available.

Idly browse the displays of modern electronics in department stores and eventually the eye stops at the largest screens, often displaying landscapes so vivid that it invites the viewer to almost step into the screen.

That is the compelling power of 4K resolution. Commonly referred to as “ultra HD,” 4K has a resolution of 3,840 pixels by 2,160 lines and is one of the two options in ultra-high definition now targeted towards consumer television. The other development is 8K ultra-high definition, which is 7,680 pixels by 4,320 lines. Both are available now to anyone who can afford it. IFE suppliers and their airline customers are gently dipping their toes into ultra HD and preparing for their possible future in the airline cabin.

However, with the vast majority of IFE programming still made and shown in standard definition (as opposed to high-definition) moving to the next step is a ways into the future. Answers from the major IFE suppliers indicate that while it may not be used now, they have taken steps to be ready for the demand.

With current screen capabilities, the amount of in-seat real estate taken up by thin, light monitors in the seatback has grown considerably. Where passengers once watched movies on screens of six to eight inches, Economy Class and Premium

88 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

Economy class cabins now have screens of 11-13 inches.

Business Classes can see entertainment on screens of 16-24 inches. The rare First Class cabin can offer screens anywhere from 23 to 55 inches in some cases.

The first 4K screens from Panasonic Avionics will be in service in Panasonic has developed a system of the third quarter of next making 1080p media appear 4K for the passenger (Photo courtesy Panasonic) year on a “long-range aircraft in the Asia-Pacific region,” said Jon Norris, Senor Director of Corporate Sales and Marketing. While one customer as an early adopter many not signal much, Panasonic will be ready for others as it moves ahead with technological advancements for in-seat IFE. “One of the interesting features that we have which will be built into our next generation of screens, is that we can provide upscaling of 1080p content,” said Norris. With the capability, he said programming would appear 4K to the passenger.

“That is an interesting bridge while the content side of the business kind of catches up,” Norris said.

Panasonic has done other improvements to screen resolution, which competes constantly with cabin windows. By boosting the color contrasts, the company has successfully made the viewing experience by the passenger better even in broad daylight. As Boeing and Airbus reduce glare by adding photo-chromatic windows to their newest aircraft models, the viewing experience on newer aircraft is improving.

The battleground for IFE providers will be capabilities of airline screens, says Thales’ David Pook (Photo courtesy Thales)

Additionally there is second-screen capability for passengers to make use of personal electronic devices teamed with the airline’s IFE. “I think you are going to see a lot more pairing of personal device, such that some of the handset control functionality can actually go onto the airline app that the passenger is carrying on their smart phone,” said Norris.

Where the difference lies Thales Avionics is also developing 4K screens for use and the 777X platform that will go into service in late 2019 or early 2020, said Dave Pook, Director of Marketing for IFE. At this year’s Airline Passenger Experience Association event in Long Beach, the company will be displaying a 13-inch model with 4K, while a 24-inch model will be in prototype.

A 32-inch screen is also in early stages with development.

A number of challenges still exist to making 4K a common feature in the airline cabin, said Pook. Among them are the availability of special glass to bring out the resolution, additional power is required, along with the availability of content.

Naturally, the added price would continue to be one of the driving factors.

“So it is not a small task,” he said. “At this point we are not seeing it as standard equipment.”

Embedded IFE screens, are, on the other hand standard equipment on any airline looking to improve the passenger experience. So, while 4K may not be the killer app of today, there is much to be done with the functionality of the screen for airlines to set themselves apart from the competition.

The aforementioned second screen capability is one example.

Pook listed several other options now available on the seatback touch screens, including features that allow passengers to adjust the lighting and call flight attendants. Others can be found in the passenger’s hands, like Thales’ Avii PCU that was scheduled to be in service by the time the industry gathers in Long Beach.

The Avii is a handset with a 5-inch LCD screen, and an 90 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

Android operating system.

With the balanced and ergonomic design and contextbased applications, Avii provides intuitive user interaction.

The handset allows passengers to gain nearly the functionality of a smart phone, with video and games capability, as well as motion sensors that guide controls with the passenger’s hand.

In terms of size and resolution, one seatback screen from any maker is not that different, said Pook. It is the capabilities of the screen itself and the user navigation module that will be the battleground in the near future for suppliers competing for IFE customers. He said Thales is spending a large portion of the company’s time and research in developing ways to improve the passenger experience, help the airline customer establish its brand and provide interesting and current targeted and unique content.

The Avii 3 passenger control unit from “The differentiation between Thales (photo courtesy Thales) us and our competition will not be so much the physical screen sizes or the specification of the screens, because none of us are building them bespoke to our own industry, because you cannot justify that,” said Pook.

“So what we are looking for is not how you differentiate with the screen technology so much as what you can do with the screens.”

Schneller’s sustainable AerFusion eco® — one of the company’s best performing flooring offerings — features an “all-in-one” construction NTF and is available in several textures

FLOORING

A STEADY FOUNDATION Cognizant of the specific flooring criteria aircraft manufacturers are looking for today, suppliers are raising the innovation bar to ensure their offerings do not fall short by MELISSA SILVA

A

cross the board, aircraft manufacturers appear to be checking off the same list of criteria when selecting cabin flooring: lightweight, cost effective, durable, easy to install and maintain, and of course, aesthetically pleasing.

Various suppliers — several of which have been consulted for this report — have sited other attributes, such as anti-telegraphing, buckling resistant performance characteristics and a range of color, pattern and even curve options.

Most importantly, selecting a flooring product that will perform under the most extreme conditions and heavy traffic is of top priority. Ultimately, as Lonseal’s Gregg Nord, Sales Manager Manufacturing Specialty Sales tells PAX International, “Whether it be the coin pattern in the entry galley of a commercial jet or a wood visual for a First Class cabin or corporate jet, the material needs to withstand the daily use that it is subjected to, and continue to look like it did the day it was installed.”

Take your pick A subsidiary of Lonseal Corporation in Tokyo, Lonseal, Inc. was established in Southern California in 1972. The company quickly established itself as a provider of unique flooring designs with distinct color choices. In the early 1980s, Lonplate — the original steel-plate design adapted to resilient flooring — put Lonseal on the map as a creator of innovative, embossed products. Additionally, Lonseal’s technological advances, namely infusing products with pliable properties not associated with vinyl, helped to bolster the company’s reputation.

Lonseal modified many of its existing specialty flooring products to meet all 92 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

safety and performance aircraft requirements. The LONSEAL® AIRCRAFT FLOORING COLLECTION is an assembly of the company’s most popular products, specifically geared for aircraft use.

Lonseal’s FEATHERWEIGHT formulation, which is 30% lighter than standard NTF aircraft products, helped launch the company into industry leader territory.

Currently in production is Lonseal’s LONSEAL® AIRCRAFT FLOORING COLLECTION, targeted to be available in November. Lonseal’s selection of embossed and smooth designs comes in four collections: AXIS, CIRRUS, HALO and MIRAGE. The AXIS is an embossed product collection featuring differently scaled coin-stampings that provide traction to aid in reducing the risk of slipping. The CIRRUS collection features a variety of realistic wood looks, whereas the HALO collection is a series of urban, earthy, raw designs inspired by Japanese Zen principles, to reflect balance, harmony and relaxation.

Lastly, the MIRAGE collection features a weave design — an abstract take on a fabric look, with Lonstratus’ hue variations and slightly stubbed texture.

The AXIS Collection from Lonseal is an embossed product collection featuring differently scaled coin-stampings that provide traction to aid in reducing the risk of slipping

Of its many aircraft products, the Loncoin II Featherweight has been Lonseal’s lead performer for many years, often referred to as “moon mat”. “Not only does it offer exceptional durability, but it also offers a great texture on the coin surface to improve traction in dry and wet conditions,” explains Nord. Not to mention the tremendous assortment of colors that are offered in six and eight-foot-wide widths.”

At this year’s Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in Long Beach, Lonseal will exhibit its entire aviation collection, including a new wood grain pattern called Loncotrail that will be on display as the booth’s flooring.

Continuous customization Founded in 1964 by John B. Schneller, Schneller started as a supplier of interior laminates and flooring for aircraft, beginning with the fabled Douglas DC-3 twin engine aircraft. Today, Schneller serves virtually all of the world’s major aircraft manufactures, airlines, and designers of rail and aviation interiors. The premier single source provider of coordinated collections and custom decor of film and reinforced laminates, thermoplastic sheets and non-textile floor coverings, Schneller provides continuous roll and sheet production from its ISO9001:2008- and AS9100C-certified production facility.

This past April at the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in Hamburg, Schneller launched AerFusion®fit — its first repositionable non-textile flooring. A removable, repositionable and readyto-use flooring solution, AerFusion®fit offers the versatility needed for precision installation requirements; an efficient adhesive system optimized for clean removal from floor substrate; minimizes

Lantal’s newest hybrid carpet — “Wool/ Polyamide 50/50” — combines the best properties of wool and polyamide and assures a longer service life in comparison with conventional wool carpets

telegraphing (“read-through”) effect; better buckling resistance and dimensional stability; unlimited color and design options; can be cut to size and/ or pre-seamed to order; easy to clean and maintain; and is cost effective.

Schneller’s sustainable AerFusion eco® is one of the company’s best performing flooring offerings. An “all-in-one” construction NTF and available in several textures, AerFusion eco® is specifically designed to fulfil the FAR 25.793 and FAR 25.853 specifications through Patent Pending technology.

“AerFusion eco® offers the well-known Schneller NTF benefits: lightweight, superior slip, abrasion and telegraph resistance, easy cleaning and maintenance,” explains Monica Montgomery – Business Unit Manager – Specialty Product for Schneller.

Other features of the AerFusion eco® include lower weight construction resulting in enhanced fuel economy, with material available in continuous roll form, thus yielding less waste.

Schneller will be exhibiting at AIX in Long Beach (stand no. 2030) where all its product offerings will be on display, along with some new designs from its 2017 Design Collection.

From carpet to seatback Founded in 1886 and headquartered in Langenthal, Switzerland, Lantal has cemented itself as global leader in the design, production, and distribution of premium textiles, parts, and services for aircraft, bus and railway operators, including: upholstery fabrics, velvets, natural and artificial leathers, woven and hand-tufted carpets, headrest covers, curtains, wall coverings and coach headliners.

New from Lantal are its latest-generation hybrid carpets —”Wool/Polyamide 50/50” and “Wool/Polyamide 80/20.”

Optimized with respect to weight and wear, combining the best properties of wool and polyamide, the new carpet construction not only prevents linting

FLOORING and unwanted fading, but also assures a longer service life in comparison with conventional wool carpets. “The principal advantages for our customers are longer maintenance intervals and lower cost,” says Ermira Fetahu, Brand Communication at Lantal .

Lantal has also launched a new modular system for customized seatback literature pockets that allows operators to choose from a wide range of predefined materials and colors to create coordinated and customized pockets.

Guiding the way Twenty-two years ago, Lufthansa Technik developed a non-electric floor path marking system called Guideline. The photoluminescent lighting strips were designed to guide passengers to exits in the event of an emergency when cabin lighting fails. Thanks to an innovative manufacturing method, Lufthansa Technik succeeded in developing a new system generation in 2013 known as GuideU 1000-series. This patented profile design can be used for both wet areas — like the galley — and carpeted areas of the cabin and features an efficient and lightweight design, with weight savings of more than 30%. Featuring 20 different color options, it can be optimally integrated with any cabin design. An optional, flexible and lightweight carpet protector is available for the GuideU 1000-series to provide a protective covering of non-seamed carpet edges. Like the luminescent strips, its design is highly resistant to mechanical stress and aggressive fluids.

In 2015, Lufthansa Technik developed ColourCurve as an option to the GuideU 1000-Series. These strips are designed to follow the curvature of the cabin by accommodating curves

and lines of just about any shape.

“Whereas in the past the profiles had to be laid in pieces by the emergency exits and galleys, the curved variant is a more elegant solution, especially in areas in the aircraft cabin where the airline sets a high value on esthetic design, like in First Class,” says Torben Biehl, Head of GuideU and Lighting at Lufthansa Technik.

Another product by GuideU integrates the structural design of the chosen carpet into the surface of the photoluminescent strip. With the ability to print each individual design right on the luminous strips, the new GuideU variant CustomFit completely integrates the emergency floor path marking with the overall design of the aircraft cabin. “Additional to the vast range of colors, GuideU CustomFit can be delivered with surface patterns to match the surrounding carpet, making it virtually disappear in normal lighting conditions,” explains Biehl. “Only in the event of a lighting system outage do the markings appear clearly on the floor and guide the way to the closest exit.”

In 2017, Lufthansa Technik won the Reddot Award for CurvedCustomFit — the latest enhancement of the non-electric floor path marking system ColourFit 1000-Series. “These photoluminescent strips are the synergy between the two innovative products CustomFit and ColourCurve,” says Biehl.

Requiring no power supply, the nonelectric floor path marking systems need only 30 minutes of normal cabin lighting to store enough energy for a long-haul flight, even when the bins are open during charging. Contrary to electrically operated systems, GuideU is maintenance free, has no lifetime limitation and no impact on aircraft turnaround times.

Lufthansa Technik’s RedDot Award-winning GuideU curved Customfit

www.pax-intl.com | PAX INTERNATIONAL | 93

COMPANY PROFILE

STYLE

FOR THE AISLE Maria Rosaria Iacobucci has founded a new company called Highliner to revolutionize the airline food service trolley sector by MARY JANE PITTILLA

M

aria Rosaria Iacobucci is making impressive strides in the aviation industry with the launch of her newly established company Highliner, while simultaneously unveiling a new airline trolley.

Highliner made its successful debut at the AIX show in Hamburg earlier this year. “After the presentation of the new trolleys at Aircraft Interiors Expo in 2017, several airlines have shown their interest in our new trolleys and were ready to test them onboard,” says Iacobucci, Managing Director, Highliner.

“So, we will soon start the first tests with two major airlines.

We expect to get our first orders in the next three months.”

One of the most attractive features for airlines has been the overall design aesthetic. “Airlines have described our trolleys as beautiful, a pleasure to have them onboard and to work with, in a lightweight and contemporary design – different from all trolleys on the market today,” says Iacobucci.

Captivating modern styling With more than 30 years’ experience in the industry, Iacobucci has developed an innovative, lightweight, contemporary design and cost-effective range of airline trolleys. The trolleys meet the latest operational needs and introduce exciting new technical features, combined with captivating modern styling. She describes them as an exciting ‘first’ for the industry, which meet the airworthiness regulations.

For more than 25 years, Maria, daughter of Emilio Iacobucci, worked alongside her father, building experience and know-how within the airline trolley and accessory sector.

Before leaving the family company in 2009, she concluded contracts for the supply of trolleys with major airlines.

Explaining why she decided to launch Highliner, Iacobucci explains: “It has been my ambition, since I moved to Switzerland four years ago, to design a trolley that offers airlines a revolutionary new standard of trolley, very different from those in service Maria Rosaria Iacobucci, today. Collaboratfounder of Highliner, has more than 30 years’ ing with Factorydexperience in the industry esign (a UK-based 94 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

Highliner has developed an innovative, lightweight and costeffective range of airline trolleys with exciting technical features and a contemporary design

design engineer), who I consider to be the best in the market, has helped me turn this ambition into a reality. Together we are an enthusiastic and passionate team with extensive experience in the aviation business.”

So what makes Highliner different? Iacobucci is clear: a trolley’s aesthetic should be in harmony with cabin interiors.

Currently, they are created as back-of-house airline catering equipment and yet they have a customer-facing job to do - going up and down aisles in front of passengers, and as duty free trolleys. The strength of the Highliner brand lies in the four-part fusion of design, engineering, customization capabilities and attention to detail of the products.

Other distinctive features include the use of lightweight materials and efficient manufacturing methods. A highly qualified design and manufacture team means that Highliner can either meet individual customer specifications, or deliver the existing Atlas, Kssu and Ace standard measures.

Highliner goals are an aesthetically designed airline trolley in harmony with cabin interiors. The trolleys need a stylish face when viewed as a group of loaded carts, so that they appear smarter than a collection of highly engineered locks and hinges.

“With a careful and considered design approach, the new trolleys from Highliner have achieved this vision,” she enthuses.

Highliner aims to put trolleys into the spotlight of the cabin theatre. And looking to the future, historically analogue trolleys will also become digital and intelligent, Iacobucci believes.

An array of technology will be embedded to help with stock and temperature control, whilst also monitoring security.

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TROLLEY REPORT

MODISH TRANSPORT An increased focus on product design and aesthetics are among the latest innovations in the food service trolley market by MARY JANE PITTILLA

T

rundling through the aisles of modern aircraft around the world are a new breed of airline trolleys, built for weight reduction and decked out with accessories and catchy graphics that place them a far cry from the workhorse products that have been flying for decades.

New players are also emerging to challenge the long time suppliers for customers. When PAX International queried the industry in the run-up to this years even in Long Beach it found a group of suppliers with fingers on the pulse of the passenger experience and ready with new and established product offerings.

KORITA AVIATION Established in 2006 in Suzhou, China, Korita Aviation is a wellknown manufacturer of high quality inflight galley equipment.

The heart of Korita Aviation lies in the foundation of Direct Air Flow, which goes back to 1992. The success of Direct Air Flow demonstrated an increased demand from the airlines for shorter lead times, high quality durable inflight galley equipment and service.

Korita Aviation, which is part of the Direct Aviation group, manufactures the Aluflite range of lightweight galley equipment, providing a modern and innovative design. In addition to its light weight, product developments have also led to increased stability and durability, along with various external panel finish options.

“We have seen that whilst light weight remains a key decision maker, durability remains equally as dominant in the selection process,” says Samantha Collas, Marketing Manager, Direct Aviation. “Airlines need lightweight products that stand the test of time, both functionally and in appearance. Our innovative design offers beneficial weight savings at prices that remain realistic for today’s competitive aviation market.”

The range includes half-size and full-size meal and waste trolleys as well as containers. Apart from standard trolley features such as the dry ice drawer and the new pushto-close locking system, various options are available.

Collas says that the need for airlines to enhance the inflight customer experience is transitioning at an exceptional rate; high-end carriers are attentive to every customer touch point.

Every passenger journey needs to be memorable, and trolleys, once viewed as a pure tool of the trade, are now viewed as assets that enhance the customer journey to the next level.

96 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

Korita Aviation’s trolleys have an innovative design that offers beneficial weight savings at realistic prices for today’s competitive aviation market

Korita Aviation specializes in sublimation, a process of application that enables high resolution imagery to be added to the external panels

“This is also visible in another growth segment, the lowcost flight sector, which has an emphasis on customer inflight purchasing, where the need for effective inflight marketing is now of even greater importance – a need Korita Aviation recognizes,” she said.

Korita Aviation specializes in sublimation, a process of application that enables high resolution imagery to be added to the external panels with the same resistance against washing cycles as any standard color finish. “The benefit to airlines is clear, offering a unique passenger experience that goes that one step further, making for a truly memorable passenger journey,” says Collas.

ZODIAC AEROSPACE Zodiac Aerospace’s Hybrite S trolley line stands for a modern design, and the product durability and weight could result in significant cost savings for customers, says Alwin Hollander, Director of Sales and Marketing, Zodiac AirCatering Equipment. The trolley’s modularity and ease of maintenance do not compromise on security, as there are no screws on the outside that enable access to the inside when the doors are closed.

Adding to its durable and ergonomic design, the Hybrite S line can be outfitted with fully customizable artwork on its durable panels to match every stylish brand. The range includes full-

Adding to its durable and ergonomic design, the Hybrite S line from Zodiac Aerospace stands out with fully customizable artwork on its superior durable panels to match every stylish brand

TROLLEY REPORT

Innovative waste solutions are getting more important for Zodiac’s airline clients to reduce the total waste volume

size and half-size meal-, bar-, waste- and folding trolleys with various options, along with a container.

Zodiac Aerospace is working on several co-creation projects with its business partners in order to develop custom-made solutions.

“We focus on the airline and their crew to ensure the best

service to the passengers. Together we keep innovating to meet the changing passenger demands of tomorrow,” says Hollander.

Light weight and durability are key for airline clients.

The trolleys must also be safe, easy to maintain and pleasant in use. “We focus on improvement of efficiency, which translates in lower costs and higher profitability,” says Hollander. “A satisfied crew with high quality equipment results in offering the best service possible to the passengers. Every airline aims to drive down costs whilst not compromising on quality and service. With this in mind we create the best custom-made solutions possible for our clients.“ Next to lightweight, branding and durability, innovative waste solutions are getting more important for the company’s airline clients to reduce the total waste volume, notes Hollander.

Part of its Hybrite S range is a new Smart Lock product that offers a high quality, lightweight and long-lasting security solution to prevent losses while increasing operational efficiency of buy-on-board processes.

In a further product development, the Hybrite S-based CoolTrolley provides a that opens up return catering possibilities by keeping its contents chilled for an extended period of time without external power. Integrating the Smart Lock and

Onboard Logistics on a mission to solve airline problems Nicky Beades, Managing Director of Dublin-based trolley accessories supplier Onboard Logistics, was in no doubt about what he wanted to specialize in when he set up the company in 2002 – space. Or, more precisely, saving space in the aircraft cabin.

Beades, whose passion is solving airline problems, worked his way up through the catering department of Irish flag carrier Aer Lingus to the post of Head of Catering, which he held until he left the business in 2002 to form Onboard Logistics.

With a deep knowledge of the demands placed on crew and the challenges that airlines face, he created Onboard Logistics to solve those problems.

Onboard Logistics offers a suite of products designed to “create galley space where it does not exist.”

“We are selling a system,” he says.

The first product developed by Onboard Logistics was the Flex-eBag, which was designed to transform onboard waste collection. The patented plastic collar fits onto the tray runners of any Atlas-standard airline food service trolley, instantly converting it into a waste trolley.

The Flex-e-Bag creates space in the galley so that stock can be carried for inflight sales, be it more food, duty free or other merchandise, thereby generating revenue opportunities. The system is also designed to cut costs by avoiding expenditure on custom waste trolleys. The reduction in the overall weight of catering equipment on the aircraft results in fuel cost savings, as Flex-e-Bags are lighter than bins.

With a Flex-e-Clip, a Flex-e-Bag can be clipped onto the back of the waste trolley, doubling the waste collection. A Flex-e-Bag can be clipped anywhere in the galley to create a waste collection point.

In a further innovation, the Atlas Flex-e-Drawer is designed to provide more space in the galley. When the drawers are full, they stack and when they are empty, they nest, freeing up valuable space. Five empty Flex-e-Drawers fit neatly into any Atlas box, or seven empty Flex-e-Drawers fit into the bottom of a trolley.

Using this system, there is no need for airlines to buy a waste trolley, says Beades. With the empty Flex-e-Drawers nested in the bottom

of the trolley or stored in an Atlas box, a Flex-e-Bag can be placed in the trolley to transform it into a waste trolley.

Produced in durable plastic, Flex-e-Drawers are designed to fit standard Atlas equipment, and are vented so that food can remain cool.

Onboard Logistics has a growing client roster including Air Canada, Lufthansa German Airlines, Condor, Spiriant, Air Mauritius, Arkfly and gategroup-owned DeSter.

In a recent development, Onboard Logistics has started working with a Canadian firm that has developed the gobi Liquid Waste Disposal Solution (LWDS) (www.gobi-absorbent.com). This galley liquid waste disposal solution for airlines aims to eliminate clogged drains and reduce maintenance costs by converting liquid waste such as milk, wine, tea or coffee into a solid gel. This gel can then be managed as solid waste.

“This product is coming to market, and we are seeing how we can collaborate and operate together, using the Flex-e-Bag,” says Beades.

Another recent development is airlines approaching Onboard Logistics to come up with solutions to their own inflight issues.

Onboard Logistics is The Flex-e-Bag supplied The Atlas Flex-eworking on projects for by Onboard Logistics has Drawer is designed to a patented plastic collar provide more space in two major European that fits onto the tray the galley. When the airlines. “This is an runners of any Atlasdrawers are full, they standard airline food stack and when they exciting new advenservice trolley, instantly are empty, they nest converting it into a waste [Picture credit: Tim ture for the company,” trolley [Picture credit: Tim Ralph Photography] enthuses Beades.

Ralph Photography] www.pax-intl.com | PAX INTERNATIONAL | 97

TROLLEY REPORT cooling solutions results in significant savings for the company’s clients, according to Hollander.

Zodiac AirCatering Equipment has recently developed universal waste solutions that can solve multiple onboard waste management issues. This innovative waste solution offers flexibility within the fleet, less waste space and a clean and ergonomic way of working for the crew.

“Using our waste solutions enables the airline to reduce the waste volume significantly,” says Hollander. “As a result, substantial savings can be realized whilst respecting the environment.” The waste solutions can be ordered in any size to fit all preferences.

HIGHLINER Maria Rosaria Iacobucci established a new company called Highliner earlier this year with the aim of revolutionizing the airline trolley business (also see feature on Page 93).

The newly launched Swiss company unveiled its cuttingedge new trolley at this year’s Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg. With more than 30 years’ experience in the industry, Iacobucci has combined her expertise with UK-based design engineer Factorydesign to create a range of trolleys that she says are unprecedented in the world of aviation services.

The innovative, lightweight and cost-effective trolleys have a contemporary design and meet the latest operational needs. They introduce new technical features, combined with captivating modern styling, and they also meet airworthiness regulations.

Turning to trends she is observing in the trolley sector, Iacobucci has firm views. “Product and industrial designers need to apply some of the language of the cabin interior to the way trolleys are designed, particularly when they are in a galley. The trolleys need a stylish cart face when they are viewed as a group of loaded carts, so that they appear smarter than a collection of highly-engineered locks and hinges.”

Iacobucci continues: “To disguise their industrial look, airlines spend time and money fitting doors on the galleys to make them appear more ‘boutique hotel’. This adds precious weight, makes them bulkier and more complex, and – worse still – Business and First Class passengers complain about the noise of the doors’ slam-catches being opened and closed.”

Another significant trend Iacobucci is seeing is in digitalization.

“Analogue carts will also become digital and intelligent,” she states, adding: “There are significant opportunities to introduce technologies to trolleys. A lot of technology will be embedded to help with stock control and temperature control, and to monitor security on carts. HighHighliner trolleys introduce exciting liner will introduce new new technical features to its trolleys, features, combined with captivating which will be disclosed modern styling at the end of 2017.”

98 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

Buzz airs smart fridge solution Buzz, the product design specialist, is exploring how its tech expertise could adapt into the existing airline trolley infrastructure. Buzz has developed the first-of-its-kind smart fridge and is currently examining its application for airlines.

Buzz is the brains behind the Bud-E fridge, a smart product dispenser of Budweiser beer and a digital platform that allows for real-time stock monitoring and replenishment, as well as providing valuable consumer data. The LinqIQ platform enables real-time stock monitoring, simple replenishment, gathers real-time data and delivers live consumption insights, as well as inventory management capabilities, temperature control, and can activate simplified re-ordering and delivery.

The Bud-E fridges are produced in partnership with Budweiser beer brewer Anheuser-Busch and are also in use at a variety of offices across the U.S., including at Google headquarters.

“An area for review during our initial concept scope is to consider how our system could be implemented with the existing trolleys,” says Leonard Hamersfeld, Director at Buzz.

Buzz intends to work with the airlines to align its proprietary Inventory Management System, creating a bespoke iteration with their product tracking needs. “Each airline has an existing catering solution; we would be complementary to this, instead of requiring a change in their current system,” explains Hamersfeld.

This program is still in the initial concept definition phase, and therefore not yet at trial. The initial concept was discussed with the company’s airline partners at WTCE Hamburg in April to evaluate interest. This will be part of the conversation at future trade shows, including WTCE 2018, says Hamersfeld.

The Bud-E fridge is a smart product dispenser of Budweiser beer and a digital platform that allows for real-time stock monitoring and replenishment

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ANCILLARY REVENUE

APEX to track revenue The Airline Passenger Experience Association is seeking to maximize advertising, among other things, as a strong source of revenue for airlines and has set up a committee to chart the strategy by RICK LUNDSTROM

E

ach year, revenues outside standard ticket sales take up a larger and larger slice of the pie that makes up the airline industry’s aggregate profits.

The potential of ancillary revenue is being tracked and calculated as airlines take a wide array of approaches to increasing income. Large airlines, like British Airways and Delta Air Lines make the majority of their ancillary revenue through frequent flying programs and co-branded credit cards, with a much smaller share of revenue from activities that directly touch the passenger in the cabin.

However, smaller carriers, like easyJet and Hong Kong Express earn significant revenue from baggage fees, assigned seating, and onboard retail.

No matter how it is earned, it amounts to big money across the industry. Each year, the Irish businessto-business travel technology company CarTrawler and Wisconsin-based IdeaWorks Company compile a comprehensive look at airline ancillary revenue with data gathered from dozens of sources. Late last year, the partners published their annual report which showed that for 66 airlines tracked, ancillary revenue in 2016 increased by 13.8% this year to $US67.4 billion.

Of that amount, the top 10 airlines in 2016 took in more than US$28 billion in ancillary revenue, which is an exponential increase from just 10 years ago, when the top 10 airlines took in just under US$3 billion, according to IdeaWorks and CarTrawler.

“Specifically, these billion-dollar amounts are generated by the sale of miles or points to banks that issue a carrier’s co-branded credit card. But on this table of giants, Ryanair and easyJet are the exception; their ancillary revenue ranking occurs through a reliance on

100 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

à la carte fees and the commissions earned from travel retail activities on the website, such as car hire bookings and travel insurance sales,” said the two companies, in July release of the top 10 ancillary revenue producers.

The Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) this past summer formed a committee to develop the potential for several segments of the ancillary revenue equation. The group’s Airline Advertising and Ancillary Revenue committee will be chaired by Global Eagle Entertainment Vice President of Advertising Sponsorship Kimberly Creaven, who helped recruit members from across the industry involved in entertainment and connectivity.

“The committee will bring together brands and agencies to share their stories of advertising and ancillary revenue and how this committee will become an integral part of connecting the ad and airline communities,” said Creaven in the August announcement of the group’s formation.

Among the important work planned by the group are promoting advertising standards specific to airline advertising and revenue generating channels.

This includes inflight entertainment, digital monetization, inflight wireless and Wi-Fi experiences on aircraft.

The committee is challenging industry leaders to provide better and faster data, analytics and best practices to improve the efficiency and revenue generation of airline advertising and sponsorship.

Initially the committee will be filled with people from global ad agencies, brand marketers and international airlines.

“We are all in agreement that a committee with this focus is needed and welcomed especially as the industry becomes more digitized,” said APEX CEO Joe Leader.

Global Eagle Entertainment Vice President of Advertising Sponsorship Kimberly Creaven

Top 10 Airlines Total Ancillary Revenue Billions of US Dollars United Airlines $6.222 Delta Air Lines 5.172 American Airlines 4.901 Southwest 2.832 Air France/KLM 2.832 Ryanair 1.982 easyJet 1.355 Lufthansa Network 1.349 Qantas 1.193 Air Canada 1.179 Source: CarTrawler and IdeaWorksCompany

2016 Top 10 Airlines – Ancillary Revenue as a Percent of Total Revenue Spirit 46.4% Frontier 42.4 Allegiant 40.0 Wizz Air 39.4 Ryanair 26.8 Jet2.com 26.0 Volaris 24.3 Hong Kong Express 24.0 Jetstar 22.0 Pegasus 22.0 Source: CarTrawler and IdeaWorksCompany

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GUEST COLUMN

THE

STATE OF THE UNION I

With U.S. airlines experiencing a decades-long fall from grace, guest writer Jeremy Clark suggests a renaissance is imminent, with changes to routes, service and the cabin already in motion by JEREMY CLARK

n the 1960s, the United States set the standards for the quality of air travel. The likes of TWA and Pan Am were the byword for luxury and glamour. Since the early 1970’s though, they have struggled under the combined burdens of outdated infrastructure, old fashioned business models, fuel crises, terrorist attacks, medical pandemics, hurricanes and all manner of employee action.

Many have fallen along the way; Eastern and Pan Am (1991), Braniff (1982), TWA (2001) are gone and more recently we have seen Northwest, Continental and US Airways get absorbed and consigned to history. The survivors struggled into the second decade of the 21st century battered, but not beaten.

The rise of quality airlines from Southeast Asia and the Middle East, combined with consolidating and improved European airlines, have further pressured the U.S. carriers in the inter-

United Airlines’ Economy Plus cabin seats

102 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

national markets. Hubs suffered too — Memphis, a Delta hub for many years closed and other airports have suffered the loss of hub status over the past decade. St. Louis (TWA) and Pittsburgh (US Airways) were abandoned and the consolidation of United and Continental has also seen reductions in flights from both Chicago and Houston.

But now that all seems Jeremy Clark of JC Consulting to be changing. There is good news on the horizon and we may be on the cusp of a real renaissance in this, the world’s largest market. Interestingly, as the business model changes so do the profits. Southwest Airlines has consistently paid a quarterly dividend since 1976 and has enjoyed more than 40 straight years of profitability — an industry record. In 2016, it ranked number seven on Fortune magazine’s “World’s Most Admired Companies” list.

Many are restoring routes in highly competitive international markets, and new routes are being forged. Routes lost in the cutbacks are reappearing; for example, Delta Air Lines is resuming flights to Malaga and Pisa from New York, whilst American Airlines is operating new routes from Dallas to Seoul and New York to Dublin.

But it is service which has seen the biggest improvements on U.S. carriers in the past couple of years, with airlines stepping up their game considerably to fight back against Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways and of course, Emirates.

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GALLEY

GUEST COLUMN You only have to see the ads featuring actress Jennifer Anniston for Emirates to see how fierce the competition is. Accusations of favoritism on both sides don’t excuse the issue. Both markets receive support from government in one form or another.

Despite big improvements to premium cabins in the U.S. and the introduction of Premium Economy concepts, they need to do more.

The website AirlineRatings.com, an independent product rating site, released its top picks for 2017 of major airlines on criteria including seat size, design and innovation, as well as service, across four cabin classes and there are no U.S. carriers in the top 10.

Part of the current problems are related to recent PR debacles about customer service and treatment of passengers by ground staff, security and even crew. You can have the best seats and the finest food, but ultimately, it’s the people that set the standards on service.

The really successful carriers market it well and generally delivers on the message. The American carriers have not only got to convince passengers that they can match these service levels, but also must deliver.

All the features that succumbed to the accountant’s knives during the hard times are now becoming important tools in winning back passengers. And that’s a tough call, as for years U.S. airlines have earned themselves low ratings for passenger experience especially in the mass economy markets. U.S. domestic travel was a byword for misery, but that might now be beginning to change.

Improvements to inflight entertainment and seating have been at the forefront of changes the carriers are making.

Alaska Airlines announced major upgrades to its services from 2014. American Airlines has rearranged it’s economy seating on wide-body aircraft to accommodate an improved sort of “Premium Economy” with more legroom and service. More and more are introducing Wi-Fi options and improved IFE. Foodservice, which suffered big cuts in the past, is beginning to make a resurgence, as U.S. airlines realize that this 104 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

too has to improve if they are to take on the best of the rest.

The advent of buy on board took a while to become accepted and for the quality to improve. It was thought that for many competing foreign airlines this would never be an option, but British Airways has recently disproved that point — probably to their long-term cost.

On intercontinental flights where competition is toughest, the competition is strong and the U.S. carriers are delivering better and better quality. Better menus, complimentary wine and beer choices and new equipment are making their way into the cabin.

Investment also in very high-end frozen products for hot meal service is helping to maintain consistency and raise quality.

The Premium Economy concept, largely ignored by U.S. carriers until around 2014 to 2015 is making appearances. These are good revenue earning seats, so United Airlines has introduced Economy Plus, and American Airlines has a selection of more spacious seats for full-fare and top-tier frequent flyer passengers.

But it is Economy Class that continues to be overlooked, which is a mistake in my view, as many of today’s Economy passengers are potentially tomorrow’s Premium Cabin customers.

More choice in travel options and better service in all classes is the only way U.S. airlines will tackle the juggernaut from the East. This includes crew where the Asian airlines in particular have an enviable reputation for impeccable service. Crew don’t need to be young and pretty — they need to be experienced and efficient.

U.S. airlines in my view receive bad press for the age of the crew; however, age equals experience and if refreshed and consistently well delivered, it can become the definitive signature Jennifer Aniston and young co-star Cooper of great service for any airline. aboard the A380 in the new Emirates The state of the union is reflected TV commercial also in fleet upgrades. Traditionally, the world’s biggest market for airliners has lagged behind. It still does in a lot of areas — there are still more MD-80s and 757s operating in the U.S. than anywhere else.

But finally, we are seeing many more A350, 787 and new 737s in the skies.

Right now, the airline industry in the United States produced improved balance sheets, increased valuations, and generated 13 consecutive quarters of profitability with operating margins near or above 10% — all testament to the quality and discipline of the management of this hyper-competitive industry.

The A380 however still has to make any appearance with American carriers who still believe the Super Jumbo is unsuited to the market. Given the recent financial successes, maybe they are right. Asian and European carriers use it in the U.S. successfully with Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa German Airlines, British Airways and Air France and of course, Emirates.

Generally, the signs are good. Investment seems to be strong and an awareness of the importance that passenger experience and foodservice plays in a highly competitive market is clearly having an effect. This is good news for all of us in the supporting businesses, so let us hope that this is a renaissance that lasts.

THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY’S LARGEST FALL EVENT FOR PASSENGER EXPERIENCE Aircraft Interiors Expo in Long Beach is the only fall event dedicated to the cabin interiors industry.

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WHAT’S HOT

WHAT’S

HOT! p Antioxidant Fruit and Nut Mix – FlyFit: The Antioxidant Fruit and Nut Mix from FlyFit is a healthy gluten-free, vegan and kosher-certified snack designed to provide nourishment and energy, while helping to revitalize the body. Available in a convenient stand-up resealable bag in two sizes — 4 oz and 0.75 oz — the mix is currently offered in First Class and Business Class (0.75 oz bag) and in Economy Class (4 oz bag) on several U.S. airlines.

Visit FlyFit at IFSA, booth no. 3257

p Eli’s Tarts – Eli’s Cheesecake: Handmade in small batches with decadent fillings in crisp all-butter pâte sucrée crusts, Eli’s Tarts are versatile desserts that are shipped frozen and available bulk packed, or individually wrapped in a custom window sleeve. Flavors include Salted Caramel made with milk chocolate and sea salt caramel, and Butter Tart with a gooey, chewy filling that is delicious served warm or cold. Eli’s Tarts were awarded the FABI 2017 Award presented by the National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show® for innovative food and beverage products.

Visit Eli’s Cheesecake at IFSA, booth no. 3152

u Felt Amenity Kit – Bayart: Bayart Innovations’ new felt amenity kit features a pouch designed to suit both men and women. Passengers are encouraged to keep the pouch after the flight, to use as a wash bag, clutch or for storing electronic devices. The pouch contains earplugs, a wood toothbrush, recycled paper, a pen and a felt eye mask.

q nature’s basics – HACO (Harvey Alpert & Company): HACO introduces nature’s basics, a new line of nuts and snacks made from simple, healthy ingredients. Available in five varieties including Sea Salt & Pepper Cashews and Roasted Chickpeas, nature’s basics is Kosher, gluten free and suitable for vegans.

Visit HACO at IFSA, booth no. 3257

p Gelato – MV Food & Services: MV Food and Services now offers genuine Italian gelato. Made with a small percentage of vegetable fats and natural vegetable additives, the gluten-free gelato is soft and “spoonable” even when consumed directly from the trolley. Featuring fewer calories, less cholesterol and less saturated fat when compared to ice cream, MV Food & Services’ gelato is ready to eat with a spoon conveniently packed in the container’s cover. Flavors include: Chocolate, Vanilla from Madagascar, Strawberry, Lemon from Sicily, Cream & Cherry, Pana Cotta and Pistachio.

Visit MV Food & Services at AIX, booth no. 2225

106 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

DISCOUNTED STAND PACKAGES FOR NEW EXHIBITORS

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Book your stand today Call Mara Veith +44 (0)20 8910 7193 worldtravelcateringexpo.com/contact-us

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WHAT’S HOT q Alitalia Premium Economy Kit – Galileo Watermark: Alitalia recently launched its new Premium Economy kit, developed by Galileo Watermark. Launched in August, the neoprene kit is designed to be reused post-flight, either as a Smartphone case or simply to store small personal belongings. The kit contains a luxurious moisturizer and lip balm from Scaramouche + Fandango, socks, a comb, a dental kit, earplugs and a fun double-sided eye mask that indicates whether the wearer would like to sleep or be woken up by crew.

p Chocolate Vanilla Swirl Gourmet Cookie Crisps – Partners: Crafted with non-GMO ingredients, real butter, Dutch cocoa, vanilla beans, and lightly sweetened with cane sugar, Mia Dolci Chocolate Vanilla Swirl Gourmet Cookie Crisps offer a sweet treat without high fructose corn syrup, sugar substitutes, and hydrogenated oils. Slow baked in the oven for a light, crispy texture, the Gourmet Cookie Crisps are packed in individual serving bags (1 oz each), making them ideal as an inflight snack. The crisps are also available in Lightly Lemon flavor.

Visit Partners at IFSA, booth no. 3159

u ALL IN ONE CABIN CLEANER – Freshorize: Freshorize’s ALL IN ONE cleaner is aimed at all levels of cleaning and sanitization. A nonaggressive complete surface bactericidal cleaner, ALL IN ONE effectively removes oily, greasy soils without the need for hazardous solvents. Ready to use for simultaneous cleaning and sanitation of all exposed areas of the cabin and flight deck, it’s safe on leather, streak free for tray tables, windows and entertainment screens — anywhere sanitary conditions are expected.

Visit Freshorize at AIX, booth no. 2205

p Gourmet poached octopus – Cuisine Solutions: Ideal for First and Business Class service, Cuisine Solutions sous vide creations now include a gourmet poached octopus. Slow cooked sous vide until perfectly tender, Cuisine Solutions’ poached octopus offers a multitude of menu options, giving airlines the opportunity to deliver restaurantquality meals inflight.

Visit Cuisine Solutions at IFSA, booth no. 3347 & 3345

t Extra Virgin Olive Oil range – Group SOI: The new generation Extra Virgin Olive Oils from Group SOI are gluten free, non-GMO and made with 100% natural ingredients. In line with today’s focus on healthy food solutions, Group SOI developed 18 oils infused with locally grown aromatic herbs, spices and citrus elements. Available in 15 ml PET bottles and 100ml, 500ml and 1L glass bottles, the range includes: Oregano, Rosemary, Thyme, Basil, Fennel, Sage, Black Pepper, Saffron, Coriander, Cardamom, Cumin, Olive, Bitter Orange, Bergamot Orange, Grapefruit, Mandarin, Lime and new additions, Peppermint and Celery.

Visit Group SOI at IFSA, booth no. 3029

108 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

WHAT’S HOT

t Thermodynamic Care Undershirt – SKYPRO: Designed to meet the thermal challenges facing airline professionals, SKYPRO’s Thermodynamic Care undershirt uses natural plant fibers and the heat- regulating property of Outlast Adaptive Comfort to store excess body heat, releasing it as needed. The undershirt provides crew with the ideal temperature and humidity for the skin, thus avoiding the discomfort of sharp rises or drops in body temperature. This technology was developed for NASA to protect astronauts against the extreme changes in temperature in space.

q Indestructible Pet Cup – Global Inflight Products: Global Inflight Products’ unbreakable Indestructible PET Cup offers the same clarity as injection cups, while being more economical and eco-friendly.

Offering no risk of injury to passengers or crew, as well as no risk of leaks, Global Inflight Products’ PET cup offers 20% to 30% lower cost, is 100% recyclable and offers the option for an embossed logo — an option that is impossible with injection cups.

Visit Global Inflight Products at IFSA, booth no. 3234 & 3236

p Disposable Cotton Linen – Kaelis: Kaelis recently launched disposable 100% cotton linen products, including napkins, coasters and tray mats. Made with stylish material, the disposable linen products are 33% lighter than rotatable linen and help impact the environment by saving liters of washing liquids, water and electricity.

u SuperSeedz – DFMi: New from DFMi is SuperSeedz — snackable, no-shell gourmet pumpkin seeds that are small-batch dry roasted and seasoned with simple and natural ingredients. Packed with protein (7-9 grams per ounce depending on the flavor), SuperSeedz are gluten free, nut free and vegan, and a great source of zinc, iron, magnesium and other important nutrients. Made from all-natural, non-GMO ingredients, SuperSeedz are ideal for snacking and can be added to variety of different foods, such as salads, yogurt, ice cream and more.

Visit the DFMi Pavilion starting with booth no. 3156

www.pax-intl.com | PAX INTERNATIONAL | 109

WHAT’S HOT

q ID-90 Earbud – Inflight Direct: Inflight Direct’s model ID-90 continues to be one of the industry’s more popular earbud styles. The competitively priced earbuds serve as an ideal marketing tool, thanks to the colorful marketing combinations that can be customized for each airline. The unique angle of the silicone ear tip provides a comfortable fit and acts as a noise isolation model by blocking out the aircraft interior ambient noise, while also delivering excellent sound quality.

Visit Inflight Direct at APEX, booth 1314

p Heartsease Farm Premium Pressés – Radnor Hills: Radnor Hills presents Heartsease Farm Premium Pressés — a diverse range of drinks made with Radnor Hills’ lightly sparkling spring water mixed according to traditional British recipes. The range includes: Traditional Lemonade, Raspberry Lemonade, Fiery Ginger Beer, Apple & Rhubarb, Elderflower Pressé, British Blackcurrant Crush and 2017 Great Taste Award-winning Strawberry & Mint. Each are available in a premium 425ml single-serve PET bottle.

q Warewashing technology – MEIKO: Downtimes on the ground are the most expensive time for airlines, causing airport processes to be accelerated. Warewashing technology thus needs to be able to keep up. Running times of 20 hours a day are not a problem with MEIKO warewashing technology. Burdens from energy, water and operating costs are manageable thanks to MEIKO’s consumption standards, heat recovers and engineering skill.

p Premium Twist Chopsticks – RMT Global Partners: RMT Global Partners introduces bamboo chopsticks with a unique center twist, fusing cultural tradition with modern design.

Currently in service on Delta Air Lines flights to and from Japan, the chopsticks are offered to Delta One® passengers.

Visit RMT Global Partners at IFSA, booth no. 3117

110 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

WHAT’S HOT

q CabinConnect™ – Rockwell Collins: Powered by GX Aviation for the most extensive and consistent global coverage and the fastest broadband in the skies, Rockwell Collins CabinConnect™ solution provides wireless inflight connectivity for passengers and crew. Access to entertainment, crew applications, and real-time credit card authorization and wireless inflight entertainment further enhance the service.

Visit Rockwell Collins at APEX, booth no. 419

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q Flight Deck Wireless Connectivity and Power Solutions – Astronics: Astronics Flight Deck power and aircraft data interface products enable airlines to deploy new and innovative EFB applications.

These applications allow pilots to make more informed decisions, such as flying routes optimized for time, fuel efficiency and passenger comfort. Astronics has teamed with leading software application providers to quickly and easily integrate these solutions onto aircraft.

Visit Astronics at APEX, booth no. 441

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p Creamer in a Stick – AMI: From AMI’s supplier portfolio, the Creamer in a Stick has been specifically developed

by Lakeland Dairies to meet the needs of cabin service. Each stick contains 7.5ml farm-assured dairy cream, sourced from family farms across Ireland. The contemporary packaging is easy to open, more hygienic than jug service and won’t splash in a pressurized cabin environment. The sticks require less storage space, produce less waste and weigh 45% less than pots, helping to minimize airlines’ supply chain carbon footprint.

Visit AMI at IFSA, booth no. 3338

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www.devicetech.com www.pax-intl.com | PAX INTERNATIONAL | 111

COMPASS AWARDS

EXCELLENCE in every direction

The International Flight Services Association and PAX International will award influential companies and contributions to the industry at this year’s first Compass Awards in Long Beach

F

rom exceptional inflight service, to innovative food, members of the International Flight Services Association are a driving force pushing the industry forward. At this year’s annual Conference and Expo, September 25-27 in Long Beach, California, the Association will hold its first awards program that will honor those dedicated to advancing the onboard services industry, called the IFSA Compass Awards.

The awards program will recognize eight influential companies from around the world that have displayed creativity, excellence and innovation within the inflight onboard services industry.

These leaders will be announced at the IFSA Compass Awards Ceremony September 25 alongside PAX International, the ceremony’s official media sponsor. More than 300 association members and their guests are expected to attend the event.

“I am proud to say that there is now an event that not only recognizes the outstanding contributions our members have made to the industry, but also

celebrates the creativity and detail they put into their products and services,” said Jane Bernier-Tran, President of IFSA. “Those in the onboard services industry play a vital role in moving inflight the services industry forward, and we want to celebrate them.”

IFSA and PAX will present a wide range of awards, including Best Inflight Food, Best Inflight Beverage, Best Onboard Amenity, Best Catering/Food Service/Galley Equipment, Caterer of the Year, Airline of the Year, Supplier of the Year, and PAX’s own PAX International Award. Each award category has a unique criterion that needs to be met in order to be considered for nomination.

PAX International will be rewarding a company or airline that has done exemplary charitable or philanthropic work with the first PAX International Pay It Forward Award.

“We are thrilled to be the official media partner of IFSA’s Compass Awards,” says Aijaz Khan, Publisher of PAX International. “Having been a part of the passenger services industry for the past 20 years, I’ve watched IFSA grow despite the sometimes challenging state of this industry. Myself and the PAX team are delighted to be a part of the organization’s ongoing success with the launch of these awards, and are very much looking forward to this promising partnership.”

“As the most influential member-

“Those in the onboard services industry play a vital role in moving inflight the services industry forward, and we want to celebrate them.”

– IFSA President Jane Bernier-Tran 112 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

“IFSA continues to increase its global footprint, and the IFSA Compass Awards program is just an indication of how impactful this organization has the potential to be.”

– IFSA/APEX CEO Joe Leader

based organization dedicated to catering and inflight service, it’s natural for the association to expand and honor those members who contribute to the advancement of this industry,” said Joe Leader, CEO of IFSA. “IFSA continues to increase its global footprint, and the IFSA Compass Awards program is just an indication of how impactful this organization has the potential to be.”

IFSA took award nominations through early summer. For future Compass Awards, nominations are open to all IFSA member companies.

The IFSA Compass Awards are voted on by membership, narrowing it down to finalists for each award category.

Once the finalists are chosen and announced, a panel of four judges will choose a winner for each category.

To register and to learn more about The Compass Awards, please visit IFSA Compass Awards at the group’s website http://www. ifsanet.com/page/2107_Awards.

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ASSOCIATION NEWS

IFSA lines up chef talent for cooking demonstrations A

series of up to six cooking demonstration will be during this year’s International Flight Services Association (IFSA) Conference and Expo September 25-28 in Long Beach, California.

Among the group of chefs will be Celebrity Chef Maneet Chauhan. A well-known author and chef, Chauhan has appeared on numerous televisions shows, including Iron Chef America and is a judge on the Food Network’s show Chopped. She is also a James Beard Award winner. As executive chef of Vermilion, she was executing the Indian-Latin cuisine developed by Rohini Dey and her kitchen teams in New York and Chicago.

First and Business Class passengers

on American Airlines flights from Chicago to Delhi, and selected European flights have also savored her dishes as one of the carrier’s chef partners.

Chauhan is scheduled to give a demonstration Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. Two other chefs from within the airline food service industry are also slated for the cooking demonstration. Leyla Wheelhouse of DFS will give a demonstration Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. and Marc Lopez of Sky Cuisine Wednesday 2:00 pm and 3:30 p.m. At press time IFSA organizers were in the process of gathering more chefs from IFSA’s membership to bring the total number of demonstrations to six.

From pasta to Belgian waffles, and other notable dishes, to talented

Maneet Chauhan

chefs and unique products, the spotlight will be on IFSA members where they will have 90 minutes for setup, a demonstration of their choice, and cleanup, all in front of a live audience.

Along with this live company demonstration, IFSA will feature notable celebrity chef Sam Choy along with executive chefs Christian Hallowell and Matthew Farrell with Gate Gourmet, for a live cooking demonstration of chef Choy’s famous poke Polynesian dish during the annual networking event Tuesday, September 26. Members will get a chance to join more than 250 industry leaders for a night filled with Polynesian cuisine, entertainment and networking. The event will be sponsored by Gate Gourmet.

C A L E N D A R International Flight Services Association Conference and Exhibition, APEX EXPO and Aircraft Interiors Americas, September 25-28 Long Beach, California. For more information, contact IFSA at ifsa@kellencompany.com or call 404 252-3663 APOT.asia Asia Pacific Onboard Travel event, October 22-24, Bali, Indonesia. For more information contact APOT.Asia, Gladstone Park, Victoria, Australia 3043 Telephone +61 4 11 88 33 19 e-mail: contact@apot.asia SIAL Middle East, Catering Exhibition and Mercury Awards, December 12-14, Abu Dhabi. For more information, call 971 (0) 2 401 2949 or e-mail info@sialme.com

2018 Aircraft Interiors Middle East, January 23-24 Dubai World Trade Centre. For more information, UK +44 20 8846 2700, Dubai office +971 4 603 3300.

Aircraft Interiors Expo/World Travel Catering and Onboard Services Expo April 10-12 Hamburg.

For general inquiries contact AIX at aixhamburg. helpline@reedexpo.co.uk or call +44 208 271 2174 Marine Hotel Association Conference and Trade Show, April 8-10 JW Marriott Orlando Grand Lakes, Florida. For more information, contact MHA at mha@mhaweb.org or call 415 332-1903 114 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2017

Because the right impression means a lasting connection It’s often the smallest things that make the biggest difference: amenity kits can build an outstanding impression of your brand and an ongoing connection with your passengers.

At SPIRIANT, we partner with globally renowned luxury and retail brands to create amenity kits that combine exclusivity, high value and utility. They’re a perfect co-branding opportunity to differentiate your airline creatively.

Discover how we can take your brand to a new level: visit www.spiriant.com

FROM

eating well TO

feeling good

Managing transformation with taste Food trends come and go even faster than others. Many of them disappear quickly, leaving nothing but a hint of flavor, while others spice up our daily lives and have the potential to change industries. At the LSG Group, we focus on supporting our customers individually to follow those strong trends: our Culinary Excellence team has created an innovative inflight menu that not only tastes great onboard, but also has an impact on passengers’ wellbeing. The result: FlyYourVedaŽ, a meal concept that feeds our senses and nurtures body and soul at its best on long-haul flights.

Find out more about our superfood onboard: